Show Notes
On this episode of ACEP Frontline, Dr. Ryan Stanton is joined by Dr. Rob Ohle and aortic dissection survivor Brian Brantley for a discussion on one of emergency medicine's most challenging diagnoses. Through Brian's powerful firsthand account of surviving a Type A aortic dissection, the conversation highlights the importance of recognizing that acute aortic syndromes rarely read the textbook. Dr. Ohle shares practical, evidence-based strategies for improving diagnostic accuracy, including the critical role of a thorough history, targeted risk assessment, physical examination, appropriate use of D-dimer, point-of-care ultrasound, and current ACEP clinical guidance. The discussion also reviews initial emergency department management, time-sensitive treatment priorities, and practical bedside pearls that can help physicians recognize this rare but potentially fatal condition before it's too late. Brian also discusses his work with the John Ritter Foundation, emphasizing the importance of public awareness, understanding family history, and supporting survivors and their families. This episode is a reminder that while acute aortic syndromes may be uncommon, maintaining a high index of suspicion and following a systematic approach can make the difference between life and death.
More from ACEP Frontline
In this Frontline Weekend Playlist episode, hear Dr. Patrick Kneeland present “Elevating Our Game: Cultivating Connected Transformation in Healthcare Settings” at the Fourth Annual Leadership Symposium & EM: High Risk – Do Not Miss Conference in Beaver Creek, Colorado. He explores the drivers of professional well-being, psychological safety, and team culture, sharing practical leadership strategies for fostering connection, collaboration, resilience, and meaningful change in complex healthcare environments.
In this episode of ACEP Frontline, Dr. Ryan Stanton is joined by Dr. Peter Pruitt, chair of the ACEP Research Forum for ACEP26 in Chicago, to discuss the growth of emergency medicine research and the opportunities available to clinicians, residents, and aspiring researchers. He highlights this year’s Research Forum programming and shares practical insights from his session on conducting high-quality retrospective chart reviews, including how to avoid common pitfalls, generate meaningful research questions, and build a foundation for future practice-changing studies.
In this special edition episode of ACEP Frontline, Dr. Ryan Stanton is joined by Dr. Danya Khoujah, co-host of ACEP's Critical Decisions in Emergency Medicine podcast, to discuss ACEP's new Emergency Medicine Audio Network. They discuss their own podcast series as well as the rest of the network's audio offerings and the importance of being able to access clinical updates through different mediums.
In this episode of ACEP Frontline, Dr. Ryan Stanton is joined by Dr. Sean Ochsenbein to reflect on the Hurricane Helene flooding that inundated Unicoi County Hospital in Erwin, Tennessee, forcing a rooftop evacuation of patients and staff. He shares the leadership, disaster response, and emergency management lessons learned during the unprecedented flood, detailing how healthcare teams, first responders, and military rescue crews worked together to safely evacuate everyone from the hospital amid rapidly rising floodwaters.
In this Frontline Weekend Playlist episode, hear Dr. Andrew French, Vice President and Physician Executive for Quality, Safety, and Clinical Operations at Centura Health, present "Critical Connections, Leadership in Emergency Medicine" from the Fourth Annual Leadership Symposium and EM: High Risk, Do Not Miss Conference in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Dr. French reframes leadership as influence rather than title or authority, and argues that emergency medicine, with its daily demands for adaptability, quick decision making, and managing a huge range of perspectives under pressure, is the ideal training ground for building that skill. He walks through a practical framework for developing leadership on shift, starting with a simple personal leadership statement and building toward leading teams and larger systems, and makes the case that emergency physicians are uniquely positioned to lead change across the broader healthcare system. The throughline is that leadership is not acquired knowledge but a skill built through repeated practice, and the emergency department is the best laboratory available for building it.