Characteristics of patients with acute aortic dissection in Villa Clara: Multicentric study

Introduction: Acute aortic dissection is considered one of the most tragic cardiovascular diseases that occur in humans; with high mortality which requires early diagnosis and treatment. Objectives: To describe the characteristics of patients with aortic dissection treated in 4 hospital institutions in the province of Villa Clara. Method: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, multicenter study was conducted in 25 patients who were treated under the diagnosis of aortic dissection in the period between January 2012 and December 2017, in 4 secondary-level hospital centers in Villa Clara province, Cuba. Results: The mean age of the patients was 60.48 ± 13.99 years, 21 were male, which represented 84.0%. According to the Stanford classification, type A predominated in 17 patients (68.0%). The most common symptom was anterior chest pain while the most frequent complication was cardiac tamponade (28.0%). Conclusions: The characteristics of patients with aortic dissection in the Villa Clara setting manifested in a similar way to those in the national and international sphere. A high level of suspicion is required by the doctor to achieve a timely diagnosis and treatment.