Summary

A 51-year-old man was brought to the emergency room because of a sudden onset of severe dysponea. On presentation, his blood pressure was 94/55 mm Hg. Oxygen saturation was 86% while he was receiving 10 l/min oxygen through a non-rebreather mask. On physical examination, no jugular venous distention was noted, but breath sounds over the left lung were diminished. A bedside chest radiograph showed left tension pneumothorax, for which urgent needle decompression followed by chest thoracostomy was performed. Ventricular tachycardia developed, but a biphasic shock at 120 J immediately restored normal sinus rhythm. His vital signs, however, did not improve. A CT scan of the chest showed type A aortic dissection with bullae in the upper lobe of the left lung. He had an emergency operation for distal aortic arch displacement and was discharged on the 37th day of hospitalisation.