The Irish Association of Emergency Medicine and the Irish Heart Foundation, Ireland’s national heart and stroke charity, have joined forces to highlight one of the leading causes of heart attack in women under fifty years of age, SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection).

Dr. Mohammed Hamza, Consultant of Emergency Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin spoke with Pauline O’Shea, SCAD survivor and Advocacy Campaign Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation for the latest episode of theCase.report, an Emergency Medicine podcast produced in association with the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine.

The 2-hour special, focusing on women’s heart health, covered two distinct aspects of SCAD, firstly how Emergency Medicine professionals might encounter SCAD in the Emergency Department, and what to do if they do, and secondly, the patient perspective of SCAD and how a misdiagnosis, can have devastating consequences.

SCAD is an emergency condition in which a ‘tear’ happens within the layers of the wall of the artery. This leads to blood becoming trapped within the artery, forming a clot and causing a partial or complete blockage. This can lead to a possible heart attack, an abnormal heart rhythm or even sudden death, if not treated promptly.

SCAD has traditionally been seen as a rare but deadly cardiac event, mostly affecting women (80% of reported cases are women), however research from around the world is now suggesting that SCAD may not be as rare as once thought.

Commenting on recent SCAD research, Sharonne N. Hayes, MD, FACC, a cardiologist and SCAD Research Program Team Lead at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, USA says, “SCAD was once a rare autopsy finding, but we now know it to be the most common cause of myocardial infarction (MI) in women under 50 and the most common cause of MI in women who are pregnant or have recently given birth”.

Speaking about her own experience of SCAD, Pauline O’Shea said, “My personal experience of SCAD was made worse by it being misdiagnosed. The consequences for me were severe and traumatic. As a result of a week-long delay in diagnosis, I ended up having a cardiac arrest, open heart surgery and receiving a diagnosis of lifelong heart failure, and all at just 38 years old. I am hoping this podcast can help ensure that no other woman, or man, arriving at an ED in Ireland with SCAD, ever has to undergo the needless additional suffering and loss that I went through in addition to SCAD”.

Dr. Mohammed Hamza, Consultant of Emergency Medicine at St. Vincent’s Hospital, Dublin added, “In my Emergency Medicine training, SCAD was not something we were taught about, yet time and experience has brought me into contact with this subject and I felt it was time to address it in the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine podcast, theCase.report.”

Dr Hamza continued, “I was honoured to sit down with Pauline. Her story powerfully demonstrates the value of narrative medicine – not just in the ED but across healthcare at large. Hearing directly from patients about their fears, frustrations, and triumphs, grounds us in the human side of medicine. It prevents patients from becoming “cases” or “bed numbers” and reinforces the compassionate core of clinical care”.

Commenting on the podcast, Professor Conor Deasy, President of the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine added, “The IAEM is very grateful for the work being done to highlight SCAD. The theCase.report. podcast supported by IAEM is an excellent way to share the most up-to-date medical knowledge and expertise. Patient stories like Pauline’s are vital and powerful in shinning a light on very important clinical conditions where awareness can wane in the face of the myriad of other emergency conditions that come through the door of an Emergency Department across the 24 hours of the day, 365 days a year”.

Speaking about the women’s heart health and SCAD-focused episode of the podcast series, Pauline O’Shea said, “We are so grateful to Dr. Mohammed Hamza and the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine for shining a light on SCAD. This will no doubt help many SCAD patients in Ireland receive better and more timely care in the future”.

The Irish Heart Foundation offers a range of supports and services for individuals affected by SCAD, designed to help people manage their condition and connect with others who share similar experiences. This includes professional counselling, emotional support and information events as well as a Facebook group moderated by SCAD survivors for online support. The charity also offers resources including a patient information booklet on SCAD which outlines symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and life after SCAD.

To listen to this episode of the click here

To learn how SCAD might medically present in the ED and be treated, click here

For more Irish Heart Foundation SCAD Patient supports please see here