• Bharat Kothakota and Johnnie Ford.
• Department of Surgery, Howard University, Washington, DC.
• J Emerg Med. 2014 Feb 1;46(2):e55-9.

BackgroundAortic dissection is a rare occurrence in the pediatric and adolescent population. It has numerous etiologies, including congenital cardiac abnormalities. Aortic dissection has a high mortality rate; therefore, it is essential for the physician to at least consider this diagnosis in the setting this patient presented within their differential of atypical chest pain in the pediatric and adolescent population.Study ObjectivesThe purpose of this case is to consider an aortic dissection as part of the differential in a pediatric or adolescent patient presenting with atypical chest pain and abnormal vital signs. Second, this case demonstrates the diagnostic value of the D-dimer assay as a potential screening tool of aortic dissection.Case ReportA 16-year-old boy with a benign past medical history presented to the Emergency Department (ED) with sudden onset of chest pain. His diagnostic workup led to a diagnosis of aortic dissection. It is noted that his D-dimer was significantly elevated.ConclusionIt is important to consider aortic dissection as a possibility when assessing the sick adolescent patient. The D-dimer is quite useful as a rapid and inexpensive test in the evaluation and stratification of adolescent chest pain patients in the ED.Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

20 keywords...

hide…