Air and aorta: new study tests if environment holds clues to a silent killer
NCT ID NCT07467486
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether adding real-time weather and air pollution data to a standard clinical score can help emergency doctors spot acute aortic syndrome (a life-threatening tear in the main artery) more accurately. Researchers will review medical records and environmental data from 580 adults who came to the emergency room with chest, back, or belly pain. If it works, this simple, low-cost approach could speed up diagnosis and save lives.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a more accurate, low-cost tool to quickly identify acute aortic syndrome in emergency rooms, potentially saving lives.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational study using past records, not a controlled trial. The results may not apply to other hospitals or regions, and the added environmental data may not significantly improve diagnosis.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 580 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Apr 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
The study population consists of 580 adult patients (\>18 years) who presented to the emergency department of the University Hospital (CHU) of Besançon, France, with acute chest, abdominal, or back pain. This cohort is divided into two groups of 290 participants each: a "diseased" group (AAS+) and a "non-diseased" group (AAS-). The case group includes patients with a confirmed diagnosis of acute aortic syndrome (aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, or penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer) verified by imaging. The control group includes patients with similar clinical presentations in whom AAS was ruled out by computed tomography angiography (CTA). All participants must have been admitted between January 1, 2014, and January 1, 2026, and must have undergone a thoracic or abdominal-pelvic CTA to ensure diagnostic certainty. Patients with post-traumatic symptoms, chronic conditions lasting more than 30 days, or those under legal protection are excluded from the study.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria (Cases - AAS+) : * Adults (\>18 years) * Diagnosis of AAS (aortic dissection, intramural hematoma, or penetrating atherosclerotic ulcer) identified according to medicalization programs for information systems * Diagnosis confirmed by imaging (CTA, TTE, or TOE) Inclusion Criteria (Controls - AAS-): * Adults (\>18 years) * Presenting in the emergency department for chest, back, or abdominal pain.- * Confirmed differential diagnosis by CTA, ruling out AAS Exclusion Criteria: * Post-traumatic or iatrogenic AAS. * Subacute (8-30 days) or chronic symptoms (\>30 days). * Patients under legal protection or unable to provide consent/non-opposition.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
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