Objective To explore whether the serum concentration of adrenaline (AD) and noradrenaline (NA) elevate and its correlation with oxygenation index (OI) in the patients of acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods From April 2013 to December 2013, clinical data were collected from three groups of patients (38 cases of AAD in Group A, 28 cases of ascending aortic aneurysm in Group B, and 22 cases of angina in Group C). All patients received the measurement of serum concentrations of AD, NA and endotoxin (ET). Linear correlation was used to analyze the relationships between catecholamines (including AD and NA), ET and OI. Results The baseline of the three groups showed no significant difference. The serum concentrations of AD, NA and ET in Group A were higher than those in Group B and Group C ( P P