Chest pain in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Cardiology
• Clinical Pediatrics

Background:

• Chronic chest pain is a common pediatric complaint.
• Referrals to pediatric cardiology are frequent for this symptom.
• Cardiac disease is an uncommon cause of chest pain in children.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review common non-cardiac and cardiac causes of pediatric chest pain.
• To present guidelines for the office management of pediatric chest pain.
• To outline indications for subspecialist referral.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of pediatric chest pain.
• Synthesis of current guidelines for diagnosis and management.
• Discussion of differential diagnoses.

Main Results:

• Non-cardiac etiologies are the most frequent causes of chest pain in children.
• A systematic approach can differentiate serious from benign causes.
• Timely referral is crucial for specific conditions.

Conclusions:

• Most pediatric chest pain cases do not stem from cardiac origins.
• Office-based evaluation and management are often sufficient.
• Clear criteria exist for specialist consultation in pediatric chest pain.