Unexplained chest pain and breathlessness

Complaints of chest pain and breathlessness are common in both primary care and medical outpatient settings. A subgroup of these patients who find their way into tertiary care settings and subsequently are found to have no relevant organic pathology are at risk of continuing morbidity. One possible reason for this is that diagnostic strategies often focus on establishing an organic cause of pain and ignore psychosocial factors. In this article I have attempted to describe not only the prevalence but also the clinical characteristics of patients with medically unexplained cardiorespiratory symptoms. A method of establishing a positive diagnosis of noncardiac chest pain has also been outlined. This is based on an interactive and overlapping model that takes into account not only a number of psychological and social factors but also current physical and cardiac risk factors. It is important for nonpsychiatric physicians to diagnose noncardiac pain at an earlier stage in the evolution of the disorder. This would have major beneficial effects for patients, including (1) fewer unnecessary investigations; (2) less distress and functional disability; (3) reduced cost to the hospital; and (4) fewer iatrogenic complications.