PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Bharat Kumar AU - Balavenkatesh Kanna AU - Suresh Kumar TI - The pitfalls of premature closure: clinical decision-making in a case of aortic dissection AID - 10.1136/bcr.08.2011.4594 DP - 2011 Oct 07 TA - BMJ Case Reports PG - bcr0820114594 VI - 2011 4099 - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2011/bcr.08.2011.4594.short 4100 - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/2011/bcr.08.2011.4594.full AB - Premature closure is a type of cognitive error in which the physician fails to consider reasonable alternatives after an initial diagnosis is made. It is a common cause of delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis borne out of a faulty clinical decision-making process. The authors present a case of aortic dissection in which premature closure was avoided by the aggressive pursuit of the appropriate differential diagnosis, and discuss the importance of disciplined clinical decision-making in the setting of chest pain.