title: Initial approach to the patient who has chest pain.
abstract: The last decade has seen extraordinary advances in the cardiovascular arena, particularly in the evaluation and management of the patient who has acute coronary syndromes. From bedside markers of myocardial damage to drug-eluting stents, technical advances are proliferating. Efforts in developing an international registry for acute aortic dissection have helped elucidate the acute presentation, management, and prognosis of this uncommon but lethal disease. Finally, the multiple research efforts in coordinating clinical decision-making with serologic markers and advanced imaging for the diagnosis of pulmonary embolism is changing the approach to the patient at risk for thromboembolic disease.
authors.affiliation: Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. haro.luis@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Luis H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Haro
authors.forename: Wyatt W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Decker
authors.forename: Eric T
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Boie
authors.forename: R Scott
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Wright
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D004562:Electrocardiography; D004632:Emergency Medical Services / Q000379:methods*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D015996:Survival Rate; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014218:Triage