Management of non-cardiac chest pain: from research to clinical practice

Non-cardiac chest pain assessed by cardiologists in their outpatient clinics or by coronary angiography usually has a poor symptomatic functional and psychological outcome. Randomised trials have shown the effectiveness of specialist psychological treatment with those who have persistent symptoms, but such treatment is not always acceptable to patients and may not be feasible in routine clinical settings.

To describe a sample of patients referred to cardiac outpatient clinics from primary care in a single health district who were consecutively reassured by cardiologists that there was not a cardiac cause for their presenting symptom of chest pain.

Systematic recording of referral and medical information of patients consecutively reassured by cardiologists. Reassessment in research clinic six weeks later (with a view to inclusion in a randomised trial of psychological treatment, which has been separately reported) and followed up at six months.

A cardiac clinic in a teaching hospital providing a district service to patients referred from primary care.

133 patients from the Oxfordshire district presenting with chest pain and consecutively reassured that there was no cardiac cause during the recruitment period; 69 had normal coronary angiograms and 64 were reassured without angiography.

A subgroup (n = 56) with persistent disabling chest pain at six weeks were invited to take part in a randomised controlled trial of cognitive behavioural treatment.

Standardised interview and self report measures of chest pain, other physical symptoms, mood and anxiety, everyday activities, and beliefs about the cause of symptoms at six week assessment; repeat of self report measures at six months.

Patients had a good outcome at six weeks, but most had persistent, clinically significant symptoms and distress. Some found the six week assessment and discussion useful. The psychological treatment was helpful to most of those recruited to the treatment trial, but a minority (15%) of those treated appeared to need more intensive and individual collaborative management. Patients reassured following angiography were compared with those reassured without invasive investigation. They had longer histories of chest pain, more often reported breathlessness on exertion, and were more likely to have previously been diagnosed as having angina, treated with antianginal medication, and admitted to hospital as emergencies.

These findings suggest a need for "stepped" aftercare, with management tailored according to clinical need. This may range from simple reassurance and explanation in the cardiac clinic to more intensive individual psychological treatment of associated underlying and often enduring psychological problems. Simple ways in which the cardiologist might improve care to patients with non-cardiac chest pain are suggested, and the need for access to specialist psychological treatment discussed.