title: Association between subjective descriptors of coronary pain and disease characteristics: a pilot study in a Hellenic rural population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We explored whether the way Hellenic patients describe their cardiac chest pain (verbal descriptions of the nature, intensity, temporal quality, location and radiation) associates with the diagnosis [acute myocardial infarction (AMI) versus unstable angina (UA)] as well as with the location of the coronary lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional correlational design was employed to study 80 consecutive coronary care patients (44 with AMI, 36 with UA) from northwestern Hellas.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pain intensity did not differ significantly between AMI and UA, in contrast to treatment-seeking behaviour and accompanying symptoms (p< or =0.03). Of AMI patients, women used more often the word "pain" (p=0.011), and indicated pain at the left shoulder (p=0.004). AMI patients used fewer words (p=0.03), and experienced pain at the back of the neck (p=0.03) and of the left arm (p=0.02) less often. The descriptions "knob", "constriction" and "drill" were more prevalent in UA patients (p<0.01). The description "drill" discriminated between diagnostic groups in a multivariate model (p=0.03). Associations between the infarct and pain location (p< or =0.03), and the use of some sensory descriptors (p< or =0.02) were detected. Pain locations associated with ECG findings (p< or =0.005).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subjective acute coronary pain descriptions and pain characteristics may associate with the pathophysiological processes in coronary syndromes.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece. dtziallas@gmail.com
authors: Dimitrios Ch
authors: DCh
authors: Tziallas
authors: Elizabeth D E
authors: ED
authors: Papathanassoglou
authors: Catherine K
authors: CK
authors: Kastanioti
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Fatourou
authors: Maria N
authors: MN
authors: Karanikola
authors: Margarita D
authors: MD
authors: Giannakopoulou
mesh_terms: D000789:Angina, Unstable / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors