Descriptive terms used by Malay patients for exertional angina pectoris

Description of the chest pain of angina pectoris by patients is commonly used in the diagnosis, evaluation and monitoring of ischaemic heart disease. Whilst certain descriptive terms have been identified as describing angina and not other causes of chest pain, these terms have not been systematically evaluated among local Malaysian patients. Reliance on a translation of the description used by Western patients may not be totally correct in the local context. Seventy-one Malay patients with documented ischaemic heart disease were asked, by questionnaire and by interview, to identify the descriptive terms they used for their angina pectoris. Common terms used by these patients were sempit (constrictive) [56.3%], mencuck (pricking) [54.9%], berat (heavy) [53.5%], panas (burning) [50.7%], menekan (pressing) [46.4%], and pedih (smarting) [43.7%]. Other less common descriptions used were tajam (sharp), mencengkam (strangulating), hempap (compressive), ngilu, hiris (knife-like), lengoh (aching). Two-thirds of the patients used more than three terms to describe their angina pectoris. Direct translation of the description of angina may not only be inaccurate but could also be misleading. It is suggested that the actual words used by the patients in Bahasa Malaysia be recorded in the patient's notes rather than a translation of these. More studies are required to determine whether the terms used by the patients in this study are related to local dialect (in this case Terengganu) or are actually common in Malaysia. Further, similar studies among Chinese and Indian patients are also required.