Some patients describe discomfort in their shoulder, wrists, jaws, head, back, and abdomen after experiencing chest pains as a result of a cardiac event or heart incident.
As per a recent joint recommendation from the American Heart Association & American College of Cardiology, a novel strategy to evaluate the etiology and signs of heart problems could assist physicians to enhance patient’s results as lower health expenditures.
Chest Pain That Extends Beyond The Chest Should Be Evaluated
In many cases, it is seen that people ignore the chest pain if it is not in the heart or its peripheral area. Now latest research has shown that angina can be spread to such areas also, and hence one must not ignore the same even if it is minor or silent pain.
The first objective for urgent room physicians treating persons experiencing chest pain is to ascertain whether there were any life-threatening reasons so if hospitalization or diagnostics is required.
The writers of the recommendation note there are possibilities to eliminate unneeded or incorrect screening for such individuals with heart problems, particularly in the urgent room and for individuals who have been assessed as having a moderate chance of a heart problem.
“Everyone should know the symptoms that can indicate a heart attack and that calling 911 is the most important thing to do to save their life or that of their loved one experiencing chest pain,” said chair of the guideline writing group Martha Gulati M.D. “This standard approach provides clinicians with the guidance to better evaluate patients with chest pain, identify patients who may be having a cardiac emergency, and then select the right test or treatment for the right patient.”
By collaborative decision, physicians could minimize patients’ anxiety and unnecessary screening. The patient-centered approach in which physicians exchange data and actions with people as collaborators to establish an agreement regarding desired diagnoses and procedures is vital, as stated in all scientific facts and recommendations from the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology.
“When some people arrive in the emergency department with chest pain, they often won’t need additional or immediate testing, and the health care team should explain to the patient and their family the various initial tests and risk assessment and their risk level,” said Gulati.
“Often, patients have additional concerns because they fear a heart attack or other severe cardiac event, which is understandable. However, we have advanced tools that help us determine whether a cardiac emergency or severe heart event is likely or not.”
Healthcare providers should assess & interact with individuals who are suffering chest pains using standardized risk evaluation, therapeutic routes, and tools according to the latest recommendation. Although prior recommendations addressed chest pain examination, this is the only complete recommendation from Association as well as the College that focuses exclusively on chest discomfort assessment and diagnosis.
“While there is no one ‘best test’ for every patient, the guideline emphasizes the tests that may be most appropriate, depending on the individual situation, and which ones won’t provide additional information; therefore, these tests should not be done just for the sake of doing them,” added Gulati.
“Appropriate testing is also dependent upon the technology and screening devices that are available at the hospital or health care center where the patient is receiving care. All imaging modalities highlighted in the guideline have an important role in the assessment of chest pain to help determine the underlying cause, to prevent a serious cardiac event.”
For more than 40 years, the American Heart Association & the American College of Cardiology has collaborated to convert academic information into medical practice instructions to help people live healthier lives.
