Cardiac- Common PC- Intermittent Chest Pain Flashcards
What is intermittent chest pain known as
- Chest pain due to intermittent myocardial ischaemia (angina pectoris)
How do patients describe intermittent CP
- is typically a dull discomfort, often described as a light or pressing band-like’ sensation akin to a heavy weight.
- It tends to bo felt diffusely across the anterior chest and may radiate-down one or both arms and into the throat, jaw or teeth.
What is (and brings about) anginal pain
In stable angina (caused by chronic narrowing in one or more coronary arteries)
- episodes of pain are precipitated by exertion and may-occur more readily when walking in cold or windy weather,after a large meal or while carrying a heavy load;
- the pain is promptly relieved by rest and/or sublingual glyceryl nitrate (GTN) spray, and typically lasts for less than 10 minutes.
- The degree of physical exertion required to precipitate symptoms is a better guide to disease severity than the intensity of discomfort.
How to classify chest pain, other sources of chest pain
Chest pain can be classified into typical angina, atypical angina and non-anginal chest pain
- A, history of typical angina significantly increases the likelihood of obstructive coronary heart disease,
- In unstable angina (caused by a sudden severe narrowing in a coronary artery), there is usually an abrupt onset or a worsening of chest pain episode that may occur onminimal exertion or at rest.
- It may be difficult to distinguish between angina and non-cardiac causes of episodic chest pain, such as oesophageal pain or musculoskeletal problems
- The latter may occur at any site over the chest, often vary with posture or specific movements (such as twisting or turning) and may be associated with tenderness to palpation.
Intermittent chest pain what to ask
- SOCRATES
- degree of limitation caused by symptoms.
SOCRATES
- Site
- Onset
- Character- descriptive (heavy
- radiation
- Associated Sx- breathlessness,
- timing
- exacerbating/relieving factors
- Severity
