Chest Pain

Chest Pain

The most recent and reliable information on chest pain produces the following conclusions:

Chest pain is always a medical urgency, and its immediate and efficient diagnosis is urgent.
There is a double mortality risk in those persons with an acute myocardial infarction (heart attack) who are returned home.
Coronary Angioplasty is the best treatment for myocardial infarction, unstable angina, chronic stable angina and silent ischemia.

Chest pain is a very common symptom and can be caused by a coronary blockage. The blockage can cause pain in other parts of the body such as the abdomen, back, neck, jaws, shoulder and arms. It’s common that many people, even medical doctors, minimize the relevance of chest pain.

Chest pain can be the manifestation of a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Chest pain can be caused by a heart attack (myocardial infarction), a serious illness with a very high mortality rate.

The most advanced and efficient treatment for myocardial infarction is to open the obliterated artery using instruments delivered to the occlusion through a catheter inserted in the affected artery in a procedure known as coronary angioplasty. This procedure should be performed by a very well-trained interventional cardiologist (a specialist in invasive cardiology) and should be performed with the minimum possible delay.

Angina pectoris (general chest pain)

Sometimes, the diagnosis of myocardial infarction can’t be determined. The pain may be caused by a situation called angina pectoris, which can precede the infarction or death itself. The treatment of this condition should be an intensive one and very similar to that of the infarction. Very often, it is necessary to perform a coronary angioplasty.

What you should do and demand when having chest pain:

Go immediately to a hospital with a 24-hour emergency department.
Always choose a hospital with a cath lab (a room equipped for cardiac catheterization procedures) that is available 24 hours.
An immediate diagnosis should be performed in the emergency room, based on a brief interrogatory, physical exam, laboratory studies and Electrocardiogram.
When infarction is confirmed, it should be treated immediately.
If any doubt exists regarding the diagnosis, the patient must not be discharged, and further studies should be performed

With the correct and prompt treatment of myocardial infarction or angina, the following can be achieved:

Good prognosis, both short- and long-term
Early return to normal activities
Minimal restrictions on daily life
Less probability of suffering this illness again