A descriptive study of early nonspecific chest pain after PTCA: important area for the acute health care personnel.
BACKGROUND
Many patients report chest pain of varying intensity at various locations during the first hours after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to increase knowledge regarding differentiating between harmless chest pain versus ischemic chest pain, focusing on patients description of their pain.


METHODS
A total of 192 patients after elective PTCA were interviewed twice. In addition patients experiencing chest pain within 6 hours after the procedure completed the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ).


RESULTS
Nonspecific chest pain occurred in 34 patients (18%) and ischemic chest pain in 6 (3%), whereas 152 (79%) did not report early chest pain after PTCA. The nonspecific pain group reported statistically significant less pain intensity (VAS P =.001), used fewer (P =.006) and qualitatively weaker (P =.008) words compared to the ischemic pain group. No predisposing factors that could predict chest pain were identified.


CONCLUSIONS
Discriminators appear to be the pain intensity and the word descriptors. MPQ combined with a VAS could be valuable clinical tools with regard to patients' description of pain.
Ronnevig
Marit
M
Department of Cardiology, Rikshospitalet, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
Bjorsvik
Elisabeth
E
Gullestad
Lars
L
Forfang
Kolbjorn
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D009664:Norway; D010147:Pain Measurement; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015607:Stents; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome