title: The differential diagnosis of chest pain.
abstract: Chest pain is a frequent complaint of patients seeking urgent medical assistance. It is a serious concern for patients and practitioners because of its potentially life-threatening implications, and misdiagnosis can be fatal. The shared neurologic pathways of thoracic and abdominal visceral organs complicate the diagnosis of chest pain. It is vital that patients presenting with chest pain are rapidly and skillfully assessed so that the correct working diagnosis can be made and appropriate treatment offered.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and Midwifery, University of East Anglia, Norwich.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hubbard
mesh_terms: D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods; D014218:Triage / Q000379:methods