Panic disorder and chest pain in the coronary care unit.
Consecutive admissions to a university hospital coronary intensive care unit were prospectively evaluated using a modified version of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R by interviewers blind to the patient's cardiac status. Panic disorder was present in almost one-third of the patients. Four (21%) of the 19 patients with panic disorder also had positive cardiac findings, including 2 who had myocardial infarctions. Of the 27 patients with negative cardiac findings, 15 (55.5%) had panic disorder. Whereas panic disorder and coronary heart disease may coexist in patients with acute chest pain, there appears to be a very high prevalence of panic disorder among patients in whom cardiac disease has been excluded.
Carter
C
C
Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis Medical Center, Sacramento 95817.
Maddock
R
R
Amsterdam
E
E
McCormick
S
S
Waters
C
C
Billett
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000379:Agoraphobia / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D016507:Cardiology Service, Hospital; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003325:Coronary Care Units; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016584:Panic Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales