Chest pain

The purpose of this article has been to review the multiple causes of chest pain. Because acute chest pain can be the only presenting symptom of a potentially life-threatening illness, it is important that the physician identify these patients rapidly and arrange appropriate hospital care. Likewise, it is also important that the physician recognize the less severe causes of chest pain so that the patient can be appropriately reassured in the office or sent for evaluation of the cause of this pain. Although nearly every patient with acute chest pain views this pain as an emergency, the majority of patients with this type of pain presenting to a physician's office can be evaluated and reassured using only basic office skills.