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Pediatric precordial pain, Hospital Español de México's experience
Celia M Ocampo-Vázquez1, Rodrigo Hernández-Benítez2, Jose Iglesias-Leboreiro3
1Department of Pediatric Emergency. Pediatrics and Neonatology Unit, Hospital Español de México, Mexico City, Mexico.
Insights
Pediatric precordial pain is common in emergency rooms, often causing family anxiety. This study found most cases were non-specific, with only a small percentage linked to serious cardiac issues like pulmonary hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Emergency Medicine
- Cardiology
Background:
- Pediatric precordial pain is a frequent emergency room (ER) consultation, affecting families significantly.
- It commonly presents in adolescents aged 11-14 years.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the etiology of precordial pain in children.
- To analyze the clinical presentation (semiology) and ER management of pediatric precordial pain.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective, observational, descriptive, and transversal study.
- Data collected from January 2014 to May 2017.
- Involved analysis of 48 pediatric precordial pain cases.
Main Results:
- Most cases (62%) presented non-specific pain characteristics.
- Pain duration was typically short (< 8 hours in 54.1%) and non-irradiating.
- Only one case (2%) was associated with a significant cardiac pathology (pulmonary hypertension).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric precordial pain is predominantly benign and non-specific.
- Serious cardiac etiologies are rare, aligning with existing literature.
- ER approach should focus on reassuring families and identifying red flags.
Introduction:
Pediatric precordial pain is a frequent cause for pediatric consultation in the emergency room (ER) services - about 0.3-0.6% of all consultations - and it can cause a lot of stress to families who tend to associate it with a more severe pathology, this pathology mostly presents itself between the ages of 11 and 14 years.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to determine the precordial pain's etiology and to analyze the semiology and approach toward the ailment by ER service in a private hospital.
Methods:
A retrospective, observational, descriptive, transversal study that took place from January 2014 to May 2017.
Results:
A total of 48 precordial pain patients were identified, four of them had a positive family background. Most of the pain was not referred as associated to symptoms, and the type of pain was non-specific in 62% of the cases. The most frequent duration of the pain was < 8 h in 54.1% and without any irradiation. There was only one case associated with the presence of cardiac precordial pain pathology regarding pulmonary hypertension; this signified an incidence of 2%, similar to what has been previously published in other articles.