Chapter 33: Chest Pain

There is little correlation between the severity of chest pain and the seriousness of its cause. The range of disorders that cause chest discomfort is shown in Table 33-1.

TABLE 33-1: Diagnoses of Pts Admitted to Hospital with Acute Chest Pain Ruled Not Myocardial Infarction
DIAGNOSISPERCENTAGE

Gastroesophageal diseasea

42

 Gastroesophageal reflux
 Esophageal motility disorders
 Peptic ulcer
 Gallstones
Ischemic heart disease31
Chest wall syndromes28
Pericarditis4
Pleuritis/pneumonia2
Pulmonary embolism2
Lung cancer1.5
Aortic aneurysm1
Aortic stenosis1
Herpes zoster1
aIn order of frequency.
Source: Fruergaard P et al: The diagnoses of patients admitted with acute chest pain but without myocardial infarction. Eur Heart J 17:1028, 1996.

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