The DAShED (Diagnosis of Aortic Syndrome in the ED) Study

Acute aortic syndrome (AAS) is a life-threatening emergency condition affecting the upper aorta affecting \~4000 people in the (United Kingdom; UK) a year with an ED misdiagnosis rate as high as 38%. Previous research has identified several strategies combining clinical probability scoring with blood tests (D-Dimer) to rule out the condition but when applied to a large population (ED) with relatively low numbers of actual cases, these result in a high rate of computed tomographic angiography (CTA) scanning. Current guidelines reflect the uncertainty of existing evidence. This study, the first phase of three, aims to describe the characteristics of ED attendances with possible AAS, to determine the service implications of using different diagnostic strategies and inform future research. The investigators plan to recruit all ED attendances with possible AAS over a 1-4 week period. The investigators plan a prospective and retrospective approach to data collection adopting a waived-consent strategy with endpoint measures describing the characteristics of patients presenting with possible AAS.