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In this episode of EMERGE in EM, Dr. Mohamed Hagahmed sits down with cardiology fellow Dr. Njeri Kuria to discuss Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD)—an often underrecognized cause of acute myocardial infarction that predominantly affects young and otherwise healthy women.

Through a real clinical case, they explore how SCAD presents, why it's frequently mistaken for more common conditions, how it's diagnosed, and what makes its management fundamentally different from traditional heart attacks. They also discuss pregnancy-associated SCAD, recurrence, long-term follow-up, and the critical role of recognizing cognitive biases when evaluating chest pain.

Whether you're an emergency clinician, cardiologist, paramedic, nurse, medical student, or simply interested in understanding heart health, this episode offers practical insights that could change the way you think about chest pain—and perhaps even save a life.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why SCAD is one of the leading causes of heart attacks in women under 50
• How to recognize high-risk patients in the emergency setting
• Why PCI isn't always the best treatment
• The role of fibromuscular dysplasia and pregnancy
• Long-term management, recurrence, and patient counseling
• Key clinical pearls for healthcare professionals

🎧 Tune in for an engaging conversation that challenges common assumptions about heart disease and highlights the importance of listening to patients, recognizing bias, and delivering thoughtful, evidence-based care.

Resources

📖 New England Journal of Medicine Review: Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra2001524

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📱 Connect with me for more educational content, clinical pearls, podcast clips, and behind-the-scenes updates:

• Instagram: @HagahmedMD
• YouTube: @HagahmedMD

Thank you for being part of the EMERGE in EM community. Until next time, stay curious, keep learning, and continue to EMERGE.