Aortic Dissection/Transection

First Things First (assess & treat for the following)

• Identify dissection vs. transection.
• Perform ABCDEs for all traumatic injuries of the aorta.
• Primary and secondary survey to identify and catalog all other associated injuries
• For aortic dissection, identify acute vs. chronic.
• Hemodynamically stable vs. unstable

• Famous victims:
  • Deaths
    • King George II of Great Britain
    • Liese Prokop, Austrian Interior Minister and Olympic silver medalist
    • Lucille Ball, actress
    • Ted Bessell, actor
    • Flo Hyman, volleyball player
    • Jonathan Larson, composer of Rent
    • John Ritter, actor
    • Richard Biggs, actor
    • Mike Wieringo, American comic book artist
    • Jim Murray, American sportswriter, Los Angeles Times, 1961-1998
  • Survivors
    • Dr. Michael E. DeBakey
      • Devised the surgery to correct aortic dissection and many other cardiovascular and vascular techniques
      • Noted to be the oldest patient ever to receive his own operation
        • He was 97 at the time of surgery on Feb. 9/10, 2006.
        • He survived and had severe myopathy from deconditioning; with help from physical therapists. he was able to return to a full day’s work until his death from natural causes on July 11, 2008.
    • Daniel Dennett, American philosopher
    • Gerard Houllier, former manager of Liverpool Football Club and Olympique Lyonnais
    • Jose Miguel Arroyo, spouse of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo