Medicine
Differential Diagnosis of Acute Chest Pain in the Emergency Department
Quick fact
A normal ECG and a normal troponin do NOT rule out aortic dissection or pulmonary embolism, and up to 10% of acute aortic dissections are initially missed.
Why this is interesting
You're in the ER when a patient walks in clutching their chest. Every second counts, but the cause could be anything—from heartburn to a torn aorta. How do you quickly figure out what's life-threatening?