Anxiety and depressive disorders in patients presenting with chest pain to the emergency department: a comparison between cardiac and non-cardiac origin.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in patients presenting with chest pain to the Emergency Department (ED) and determine if there is a relationship between these and cardiac vs. non-cardiac chest pain.


METHODS
This prospective cross-sectional study was performed in an urban tertiary care hospital between March and October 2005. Consecutive patients presenting with chest pain were enrolled in the study. The prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders in patients with chest pain were determined by using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale.


RESULTS
A total of 324 patients presented to the ED with chest pain during the study period. The mean age of the patients studied was 50.5 +/- 14 years; 67% were men and 33% were women. Of the 324 study patients, 194 (59.9%) patients were diagnosed with non-cardiac chest pain, 16 (4.9%) with stable angina, 84 (25.9%) with unstable angina, and 30 (9.3%) with acute myocardial infarction. No statistically significant differences were determined between patients with cardiac and non-cardiac chest pain both for anxiety (40% vs. 38.1%, respectively; p = 0.737) and depressive disorders (52.3% vs. 52.1%, respectively; p = 0.965).


CONCLUSIONS
Anxiety and depressive disorders are common among patients presenting with chest pain to the ED. However, the prevalence of anxiety and depressive disorders is similar between patients with chest pain of cardiac and non-cardiac origin. Chest pain should not be attributed to an anxiety or depressive disorder before organic etiologies are excluded.
Eken
Cenker
C
Department of Emergency Medicine, Akdeniz University Medical Faculty, Antalya, Turkey. cenkereken@akdeniz.edu.tr
Oktay
Cem
C
Bacanli
Ayse
A
Gulen
Bedia
B
Koparan
Cem
C
Ugras
Sandra Sermin
SS
Cete
Yildiray
Y
D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002637:Chest Pain / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies