Cause and outcome of atypical chest pain in patients admitted to hospital

AUTOR(ES)
FONTE

The Royal Society of Medicine

RESUMO

In patients with acute chest pain the prime need, usually, is to diagnose and treat myocardial infarction or ischaemia. When a cardiac origin for the pain has been excluded, patients are commonly discharged without either a diagnosis or a plan for follow-up. We studied a group of such patients to see how far causation was pursued and how their mortality compared with that of patients with a proven cardiac cause for their symptoms. The study population was 250 patients admitted over five weeks with chest pain suspected of being cardiac in origin. Initial assessment included an electrocardiogram and measurement of troponin T. If neither of these indicated a cardiac event, the patient was deemed to have ‘atypical’ chest pain and the cause, where defined, was recorded. Outcomes at one year were determined by questionnaire and by assessment of medical notes.

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