It has been reported that some patients have been misdiagnosed with Acute Congestive Heart Failure, when in fact the correct diagnosis in their specific case was Aortic Aneurysm And Dissection.
Acute aortic dissection (AAD) is a life threatening condition in which, a tear occurs in the aorta - the vessel that supplies blood from your heart to the rest of your body. Symptoms of aortic dissection mimic those of other common heart issues and include severe chest pain, loss of consciousness, shortness of breath. This confusion for other heart issues can lead to delays in correct diagnosis for about 35% of patients. Every hour that a patient is not being treated correctly increases their chances of dying by 1-2%.