Chest Pain Flashcards
What is the DDx of Chest Pain?
Ones that can kill you:
Angina/MI
PE
Aortic Dissection
Myocarditis
Pneumothorax
Pericarditis
You’re fine:
GORD
PUD
Oesophageal spasm
Pneumonia/pleurisy
MSK pain, costochondritis
How do you take the Hx of chest pain?
Onset
Duration
Character:
- Location- central
- Radiation- arm, back, jaw
- Sharp vs heavy (cardiac)
- Pleuritic (worse on inspiration)
- Positional (pericardic = worse on lying)
- Exertional vs non-exertional
- Tearing through to back (aortic dissection)
Associated symptoms: nausea, diaphoresis, SOB
What more focused questions are you doing for the Hx of chest pain?
Recent febrile illness?
Thinking cardiac:
- RFs: HTN, dyslipidemia, FHx, male
Thinking PE:
- Recent surgery
- Recent immobility
-Active cancer
- Thrombophilia
- Sx of DVT
Thinking aortic:
- Known bicuspid aortic valve
- Marfan’s
- HTN
- FamHx of dissection
If you think cardiac and suspect they will need an angiogram what other questions should you ask?
- Chronic renal failure (contrast)
- Prior aortic issues: dissection, stenting, PVD
- Bleeding problems: malignancy, cirrhosis with esophageal varices
- On anticoagulant?
What do you do on Ex of a patient with chest pain?
Gen ob
Obs: pulses, BP (both arms- aortic dissection), O2
Auscultation:
- Murmur
- Crackles
- Absent or reduced breath sounds (pneumothorax)
- Hyperresonant percussion note
What bedside tests do you do for chest pain presentation?
ECG
What blood tests do you do for chest pain presentation?
- FBC: are they anaemic (type 2 ischaemia)
- Renal function: relevant for contrast
- Coagulation screen: need prior to procedure but also if PE
- Troponin (will need two)
- D-dimer (PE)
What are the considerations when doing trop on a patient presenting with chest pain?
- Standard troponin needs 10-12hr for exclusion of MI
- High sensitivity trop (HS-trop) can exclude in 4-6hrs but is less specific for ACS
If a patient presents after 6 hours of chest pain do you still do a repeat trop if the first was elevated?
No
What other conditions besides MI can cause an elevated HS-trop?
Heart failure
Sepsis (can get T2MI from sepsis)
Pneumonia
PE
Trauma
Renal failure
What imaging should be done on a patient presenting with chest pain?
CXR
CT aorta if suspect aortic dissection
Overall summary of the Ix you do when someone presents with chest pain
Bedside:
ECG
Labs:
FBC: anaemia (TIIMI)
UEC: renal function for contrast
Coags (before procedures + in setting of PE)
Troponin (likely need sequential)
D-dimer
Imaging:
- CXR
- CT aorta if suspect aortic dissection
What is the immediate treatment of an MI? (hint-mnemonic)
MONA
Morphine
Oxygen (only if hypoxic)
Nitrates for pain
Anti-platelet: aspirin
Anti-coagulate: 1 agent for STEMI (so you can operate), 2 agents for NSTEMI
Heparin given if it’s a STEMI = URGENT REPERFUSION and heparin is easier to reverse than clexane
Why does a STEMI get ST elevation?
ST elevation represents ongoing myonecrosis
- ST elevation correlates with total or subtotal obstruction of a major coronary artery
How do you manage a STEMI?
Still MONA for immediate Mx
Unblocking the artery depends on the location:
- Urgent angiogram and stenting/ PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention) = 1st line
- Otherwise if more rural for example you do thrombolysis
Thrombolysis: if no access to stenting
- Give as early as possible
- Alteplase
- Also give antiplatelet or anticoagulant (e.g. heparin, clexane)