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Article: Recurrent episodic chest pain with normal coronary arteries: did this woman's additional bouts of pain warrant emergent repeat of previously negative angiography?(DIAGNOSTIC CHALLENGE)
- Article from:
- Cortlandt Forum
- Article date:
- January 1, 2007
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2007 Haymarket Media, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Ms. J, a 54-year-old African American with a known history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and cardiomyopathy of unknown etiology (ejection fraction [less than or equal to]30%), presented to the emergency department (ED) with recurrent episodes of chest pain for the past day. According to the patient, the pain occurred at rest and felt like a heavy sensation on her precordium. She gave the episode that brought her to the ED an 8 out of 10 on a pain-intensity scale. The pain had lasted four hours and was relieved by three sublingual nitroglycerin tablets administered in the ED. Ms. J was diaphoretic. There was no history of nausea, vomiting, palpitations, cough, or ...