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THINK AORTA campaign update

Heart Research UK NewsPreventionSurgery May 1, 2025
Heart Research UK is funding the ‘THINK AORTA’ campaign, which aims to highlight early diagnosis of aortic dissection.

Aortic dissection is a rare but life-threatening condition where there is a tear in the inner wall of the aorta, the main artery in the body and carries blood from the heart to all organs.
The campaign was devised by Aortic Dissection Awareness UK, in collaboration with the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery (SCTS) and the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM).

THINK AORTA Poster
The campaign includes the design, printing and distribution of a ‘THINK AORTA’ poster to all 229 emergency departments in the UK and Ireland to help educate patients and medical professionals.

THINK AORTA podcast and film
Also, a podcast and educational film has been produced for the RCEM online learning. In the podcast, patients and health professionals share their experiences of aortic dissection.
The educational film follows the golden patient pathway of a patient suffering from an acute aortic dissection – from the 999 call, to paramedics, to emergency department triage, to differential diagnosis, to radiology CT scanning, to confirmed diagnosis, to transfer for surgery.

Further information 
You can read more about the THINK AORTA campaign, listen to the podcast, watch the film and download the poster from www.thinkaorta.net/

Update on the campaign
Our ‘THINK AORTA’ poster has already been sent to emergency departments in the UK and Ireland, and the THINK AORTA US team has now distributed posters to all 6,300 emergency departments in the USA.

The Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch has published their investigation report into delayed recognition of aortic dissection. You can read more at https://www.hsib.org.uk/news/earlier-recognition-aortic-dissection-needed-prevent-deaths/

Download the poster here

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