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Łukaszewicz R, Bednarz B, Chamiec T, et al. Is chest pain still the most important symptom of acute coronary syndrome?. Kardiol Pol. 2002;57(10):313-20; discussion 321
Łukaszewicz, R., Bednarz, B., Chamiec, T., Maciejewski, P., & Górecki, A. (2002). Is chest pain still the most important symptom of acute coronary syndrome?. Kardiologia polska, 57(10), 313-20; discussion 321.
Łukaszewicz, Rafał, et al. "Is chest pain still the most important symptom of acute coronary syndrome?." Kardiologia polska vol. 57,10 (2002): 313-20; discussion 321.
Łukaszewicz R, Bednarz B, Chamiec T, Maciejewski P, Górecki A. Is chest pain still the most important symptom of acute coronary syndrome?. Kardiol Pol. 2002 Oct;57(10):313-20; discussion 321. Polish. PMID: 12917726.
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Kardiol Pol. 2002 Oct;57(10):313-20; discussion 321.

Is chest pain still the most important symptom of acute coronary syndrome?.

Kardiologia polska

[Article in Polish]
Rafał Łukaszewicz, Bronisław Bednarz, Tomasz Chamiec, Paweł Maciejewski, Aleksander Górecki

Affiliations

  1. Department of Cardiology, Medical Centre for Postgraduate Education, Grochowski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.

PMID: 12917726

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) carries the risk of death due to electrical or haemodynamical disturbances. Thus, rapid in-hospital treatment is necessary. To achieve this, a patient, his family and his physician should correctly diagnose ACS, based mainly on clinical symptoms.

AIM: To assess the symptomatology of ACS and to establish whether modern management of ischaemic heart disease did not change ACS clinical characteristics.

METHODS: The study group consisted of 156 consecutive patients (96 males, mean age 65+/-15 years) admitted to hospital due to ACS. Physicians prospectively filled in a questionnaire addressing ACS symptomatology, including chest pain characteristics and clinical symptoms of painless ACS.

RESULTS: Retrosternal chest pain was present in 119 (76%) patients, six (4%) patients had pain localised outside thorax (jaws or epigastric region) whereas 31 (20%) patients had painless ACS. In the latter group the most frequent symptoms were dyspnea and marked weakness.

CONCLUSIONS: Chest pain remains the most frequent symptom of ACS and its prevalence is similar to that previously described in literature. Almost a quarter of patients have painless ACS; in those patients other intensive and sudden symptoms may suggest ACS.

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