Objective：To discuss the early diagnosis and emergency treatment of aortic dissection （AD） in order to enhance its im－portance. Methods：The clinical data of 42 patients with AD from January 2007 to December 2010 were retrospectively analyzed and their diagnosis and treatment were summarized. Results：Twenty-three cases of AD were diagnosed correctly in the first time and were received emergency medical treatment， among which 17 cases survived（73.9%），6 cases died（26.1%） and 3 cases refused the treatment and died within 24 hours. There were 19 cases experienced the delay in the diagnosis，among which 7 cases survived （36.8%），12 cases died （63.2%） including 2 instant death cases and 2 cases had disputes. Conclusion：Timely and accurate emer－gency diagnosis can gain the time for further treatment，which is the key to the treatment of AD.Meanwhile，effective doctor-patient communication can reduce the disputes.