Description of Unexplained Chest Pain and Its Influence on Daily Life In Men and Women

Experiences of unexplained chest pain and physical activity: A Meta-Ethnography

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

The aim was to examine the experiences of physical activity in the patients with unexplained chest pain.

BACKGROUND

Previous qualitative studies have compiled data on the physical activity experiences of people with unexplained chest pain. Nevertheless, no meta-synthesis exists on this topic to advance the theoretical development of future-related studies.

DESIGN

A meta-ethnographic synthesis of qualitative studies was conducted. Original qualitative studies on the physical activity experiences of people with unexplained chest pain were identified and systematically synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach.

METHODS

Seven databases were searched for relevant full-text articles in English, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. There were no limitations concerning year of publication. Articles were first screened against inclusion criteria for eligibility and then assessed for quality and analysed using Noblit and Hare's seven-step meta-ethnography process. The ENTREQ checklist for systematic reviews was used.

RESULTS

Nine qualitative studies were included in the analysis. The physical activity experiences of people with unexplained chest pain illuminates the metaphor: "Physical activity means balancing uncertainty" with four themes: looking for possible explanations, feeling vulnerable, feeling uncertain of consequences and being physically active may mean becoming more capable.

CONCLUSION

For people with unexplained chest pain, being physically active meant moving toward being more capable. The participants felt vulnerable and physical activity helped in balancing uncertainty. A comprehensive model illustrates the antecedents and succedent for the physical activity experiences of individuals with unexplained chest pains.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

An approach to care which considers the patient's experience might be applicable; however, it needs to be accompanied with a biomedical perspective. Nurses and other health professionals need to provide a bridge between the patient's experiences and health professionals' advice and recommendations.

The Relationship Between Unexplained Chest Pain in Children and Head-Up Tilt Test

BACKGROUND

To explore the relationship between unexplained chest pain in children and head-up tilt test (HUTT).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A total of 825 children with the main symptom of unexplained chest pain were admitted to the Specialist Outpatient Clinic of Children's Cardiovascular Disease from October 2000 to November 2021 at The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Among them, 473 were male and 352 were female, with a mean age of 10.61 ± 2.21 years. The control group included 58 cases, comprising 35 males and 23 females, with a mean age of 10.26 ± 2.66 years. The detailed history, physical examinations, conventional 12-lead electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, echocardiography, myocardial enzymes, electroencephalogram, and blood series were all examined. Disorders of the chest wall, lung, heart, mediastinum, and esophageal reflux, as well as drug effects, were ruled out. All the children underwent HUTT. Demographic description, univariate analysis, and multivariate logistic regression analysis were used to explore the possible linear or non-linear relationships between the children's unexplained chest pain and HUTT.

RESULTS

Among the 825 chest pain cases, 301 (36.48%) were HUTT positive and 524 (63.52%) were HUTT negative. HUTT-positive patients were older than HUTT-negative patients (11.04 ± 2.03 vs. 10.34 ± 2.31 years, P < 0.001). The logistic regression results showed that each year of age increased the probability of being HUTT positive by 17.90% (P < 0.000), and females were 91.30% more likely to be HUTT positive than males (P < 0.000).

CONCLUSION

Clinically unexplained chest pain in children is mainly caused by unbalanced autonomic nervous function. HUTT can help clear the cause of unexplained chest pain.

A prospective cohort study to refine and validate the Panic Screening Score for identifying panic attacks associated with unexplained chest pain in the emergency department

INTRODUCTION

Panic-like anxiety (panic attacks with or without panic disorder), a highly treatable condition, is the most prevalent condition associated with unexplained chest pain in the emergency department. Panic-like anxiety may be responsible for a significant portion of the negative consequences of unexplained chest pain, such as functional limitations and chronicity. However, more than 92% of panic-like anxiety cases remain undiagnosed at the time of discharge from the emergency department. The 4-item Panic Screening Score (PSS) questionnaire was derived in order to increase the identification of panic-like anxiety in emergency department patients with unexplained chest pain.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The goals of this prospective cohort study were to (1) refine the PSS; (2) validate the revised version of the PSS; (3) measure the reliability of the revised version of the PSS and (4) assess the acceptability of the instrument among emergency physicians. Eligible and consenting patients will be administered the PSS in a large emergency department. Patients will be contacted by phone for administration of the criterion standard for panic attacks as well as by a standardised interview to collect information for other predictors of panic attacks. Multivariate analysis will be used to refine the PSS. The new version will be prospectively validated in an independent sample and inter-rater agreement will be assessed in 10% of cases. The screening instrument acceptability will be assessed with the Ottawa Acceptability of Decision Rules Instrument.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study protocol has been reviewed and approved by the Alphonse-Desjardins research ethics committee. The results of the study will be presented in scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Further dissemination via workshops and a dedicated website is planned.

Exploring the information needs of patients with unexplained chest pain

BACKGROUND

Unexplained chest pain is a common condition. Despite negative findings, a large number of these patients will continue to suffer from chest pain after being investigated at cardiac outpatient clinics. Unexplained chest pain covers many possible complaints, and diagnosing a single cause for a patient's pain is often described as difficult, as there are a number of possible factors that can contribute to the condition. For health professionals to meet patients' expectations, they must know more about the information needs of patients with unexplained chest pain. The aim of this study was to describe information needs among patients with unexplained chest pain and how those needs were met by health professionals during medical consultations.

METHODS

A qualitative design was used. Data were collected by means of seven individual interviews with four women and three men, aged 21-62 years. The interviews were analyzed by qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS

The results are described in two subthemes, ie, "experiencing lack of focus on individual problems" and "experiencing unanswered questions". These were further abstracted under the main theme "experiencing unmet information needs".

CONCLUSION

Existing models of consultations should be complemented to include a person-centered approach to meeting patients' beliefs, perceptions, and expressions of feelings related to experiencing unexplained chest pain. This is in line with a biopsychosocial model with active patient participation, shared decision-making, and a multidisciplinary approach. Such an approach is directly within the domain of nursing, and aims to take into account patient experience.

Acid-suppressive therapy with esomeprazole for relief of unexplained chest pain in primary care: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial

OBJECTIVES

High-quality data regarding the efficacy of acid-suppressive treatment for unexplained chest pain are lacking. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of esomeprazole in primary-care treatment of patients with unexplained chest pain stratified for frequency of reflux/regurgitation symptoms.

METHODS

Patients with a ≥ 2-week history of unexplained chest pain (unrelated to gastroesophageal reflux) who had at least moderate pain on ≥ 2 of the last 7 days were stratified by heartburn/regurgitation frequency (≤ 1 day/week (stratum 1) vs. ≥ 2 days/week (stratum 2)) and randomized to 4 weeks of double-blind treatment with twice-daily esomeprazole 40 mg or placebo. Chest pain relief during the last 7 days of treatment (≤ 1 day with minimal symptoms assessed daily using a 7-point scale) was analyzed by stratum in keeping with the predetermined analysis plan.

RESULTS

Overall, 599 patients (esomeprazole: 297, placebo: 302) were randomized. In stratum 1, more esomeprazole than placebo recipients achieved chest pain relief (38.7% vs. 25.5%; P=0.018); no between-treatment difference was observed in stratum 2 (27.2% vs. 24.2%; P=0.54). However, esomeprazole was superior to placebo in a post-hoc analysis of the whole study population (combined strata; 33.1% vs. 24.9%; P=0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

A 4-week course of high-dose esomeprazole provided statistically significant relief of unexplained chest pain in primary-care patients who experienced infrequent or no heartburn/regurgitation, but there was no such significant reduction in patients with more frequent reflux symptoms.

Chiropractic treatment vs self-management in patients with acute chest pain: a randomized controlled trial of patients without acute coronary syndrome

OBJECTIVE

The musculoskeletal system is a common but often overlooked cause of chest pain. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate the relative effectiveness of 2 treatment approaches for acute musculoskeletal chest pain: (1) chiropractic treatment that included spinal manipulation and (2) self-management as an example of minimal intervention.

METHODS

In a nonblinded, randomized, controlled trial set at an emergency cardiology department and 4 outpatient chiropractic clinics, 115 consecutive patients with acute chest pain and no clear medical diagnosis at initial presentation were included. After a baseline evaluation, patients with musculoskeletal chest pain were randomized to 4 weeks of chiropractic treatment or self-management, with posttreatment questionnaire follow-up 4 and 12 weeks later. Primary outcome measures were numeric change in pain intensity (11-point box numerical rating scale) and self-perceived change in pain (7-point ordinal scale).

RESULTS

Both groups experienced decreases in pain, self-perceived positive changes, and increases in Medical Outcomes Study Short Form 36-Item Health Survey scores. Observed between-group significant differences were in favor of chiropractic treatment at 4 weeks regarding the primary outcome of self-perceived change in chest pain and at 12 weeks with respect to the primary outcome of numeric change in pain intensity.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first randomized trial assessing chiropractic treatment vs minimal intervention in patients without acute coronary syndrome but with musculoskeletal chest pain. Results suggest that chiropractic treatment might be useful; but further research in relation to patient selection, standardization of interventions, and identification of potentially active ingredients is needed.

A cognitive behavior intervention program in women with unexplained chest pain--a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Unexplained chest pain (UCP) affects everyday life, causing fear and anxiety. Patients often have difficulty understanding their symptoms.

AIM

To test a cognitive behavior group intervention program designed for women with UCP, and investigate its effects in terms of participants' ideas and perceptions of the program as well as their pain experience.

METHOD

Nine women aged 44-69 participated in the pilot study, which included six group sessions. Three months after the intervention, interviews were conducted, followed by content analysis.

RESULTS

Narrating and sharing experiences led to awareness and understanding of what may affect chest pain. Knowledge about how stress affects the body and an understanding of one's own situation and what may affect the pain changed participants' patterns of thinking. The treatment provided tools to take control over beginning reactions to stress and thus prevent chest pain. Fewer pain attacks were reported but there was no pronounced decrease in pain intensity.

CONCLUSION

This pilot study shows that it is possible, through a cognitive behavior group intervention program, to generate positive experiences of managing stress and inner pressure and to change thinking patterns. The possibility to use these strategies and techniques to improve sleeping problems and alleviate pain is also presented.

Chest pain in focal musculoskeletal disorders

The musculoskeletal system is a recognized source of chest pain. However, despite the apparently benign origin, patients with musculoskeletal chest pain remain under-diagnosed, untreated, and potentially continuously disabled in terms of anxiety, depression, and activities of daily living. Several overlapping conditions and syndromes of focal disorders, including Tietze syndrome, costochondritis, chest wall syndrome, muscle tenderness, slipping rib, cervical angina, and segmental dysfunction of the cervical and thoracic spine, have been reported to cause pain. For most of these syndromes, evidence arises mainly from case stories and empiric knowledge. For segmental dysfunction, clinical features of musculoskeletal chest pain have been characterized in a few clinical trials. This article summarizes the most commonly encountered syndromes of focal musculoskeletal disorders in clinical practice.

Psychosocial profile in men and women with unexplained chest pain

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to compare men and women with unexplained chest pain (UCP) to a randomly selected population sample free of clinical heart disease with regard to sleep problems, mental strain at work, stress at home, negative life events and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

DESIGN AND SUBJECTS

The study was conducted at a university hospital in Sweden including 231 patients aged 25-69 without any organic cause for chest pain. As a reference group, 1069 participants, were recruited from the INTERGENE population-based study.

RESULTS

Patients with UCP had more sleep problems (OR = 1.8, P < 0.0001), were almost three times more worried about stress at work (OR = 2.9, P < 0.0001), or had more stress at home (OR = 2.8, P < 0.0001), and were twice as likely to have negative life events (OR = 2.1, P < 0.0001). Women, but not men, with UCP, had a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors (obesity, smoking, diabetes and hypertension) compared with references. With regard to HRQOL, UCP patients scored significantly lower than references in all dimensions of the SF-36.

CONCLUSIONS

In comparison with a healthy reference group, patients with UCP reported more sleep problems, mental strain at work, stress at home and negative life events and had lower health-related quality of life. Aside from immigration the strongest independent psychosocial factors were mental strain at work and negative life events last year in men and stress at home in women.

Depression, anxiety, stress, social interaction and health-related quality of life in men and women with unexplained chest pain

Background

Unexplained chest pain (UCP) is a common reason for emergency hospital admission and generates considerable health-care costs for society. Even though prior research indicates that psychological problems and impaired quality of life are common among UCP patients, there is lack of knowledge comparing UCP patients with a reference group from the general population. The aim of this study was to analyse differences between men and women with UCP and a reference group in terms of psychosocial factors as depression, anxiety, stress, social interaction and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Methods

A self-administered questionnaire about psychosocial factors was completed by 127 men and 104 women with acute UCP admitted consecutively to the Emergency Department (ED) or as in-patients on a medical ward. A reference group from the general population, 490 men and 579 women, participants in the INTERGENE study and free of clinical heart disease, were selected.

Results

The UCP patients were more likely to be immigrants, have a sedentary lifestyle, report stress at work and have symptoms of depression and trait-anxiety compared with the reference group. After adjustment for differences in age, smoking, hypertension and diabetes, these factors were still significantly more common among patients with UCP. In a stepwise multivariate model with mutual adjustment for psychosocial factors, being an immigrant was associated with a more than twofold risk in both sexes. Stress at work was associated with an almost fourfold increase in risk among men, whereas there was no independent impact for women. In contrast, depression only emerged as an independent risk factor in women. Trait-anxiety and a low level of social interaction were not independently associated with risk in either men or women. Patients with UCP were two to five times more likely to have low scores for HRQOL.

Conclusion

Both men and women with UCP had higher depression scores than referents, but an independent association was only found in women. Among men, perceived stress at work emerged as the only psychosocial variable significantly associated with UCP.

Unexplained chest pain in relation to psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life in men and women

BACKGROUND

Unexplained chest pain is a frequent and increasingly common complaint among patients admitted to Emergency Departments. Previous studies have defined unexplained chest pain as non-cardiac or non-coronary artery disease, i.e. patients with other organic causes explaining the chest pain could be included. To increase the knowledge of unexplained chest pain, this study only includes patients without any known explanation for their chest pain.

AIM

To analyze gender differences regarding pain characteristics, psychosocial factors and health-related quality of life among patients diagnosed unexplained chest pain.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The results are based on 179 patients (101 men, 78 women) between 16 and 69 years old (mean age 45.3) consecutively admitted to Emergency Department. Pain characteristics were assessed by Pain-O-Meter. Social relationships, depression, anxiety, and health-related quality of life were measured by a self-administered questionnaire. There were no gender differences regarding chest pain intensity; however women described their pain as burning (p<0.01) and frightening (p<0.03) more often than men. Men reported less depression (p<0.01) and less trait anxiety (p=0.01) than women. Chest pain intensity did not significantly impact health-related quality of life except physical functioning in men (p=0.05).

CONCLUSION

Gender differences were few. Chest pain intensity did not significantly impact health-related quality of life.

Coping strategies, stress, physical activity and sleep in patients with unexplained chest pain

Background

The number of patients suffering from unexplained chest pain (UCP) is increasing. Intervention programmes are needed to reduce the chest pain and suffering experienced by these patients and effective preventive strategies are also required to reduce the incidence of these symptoms. The aim of this study was to describe general coping strategies in patients with UCP and examine the relationships between coping strategies, negative life events, sleep problems, physical activity, stress and chest pain intensity.

Method

The sample consisted of 179 patients younger than 70 years of age, who were evaluated for chest pain at the emergency department daytime Monday through Friday and judged by a physician to have no organic cause for their chest pain. The study had a cross-sectional design.

Results

Emotive coping was related to chest pain intensity (r = 0.17, p = 0.02). Women used emotive coping to a greater extent than did men (p = 0.05). In the multivariate analysis was shown that physical activity decreased emotive coping (OR 0.13, p < 0.0001) while sex, age, sleep, mental strain at work and negative life events increased emotive coping. Twenty-seven percent of the patients had sleep problems 8 to14 nights per month or more. Permanent stress at work during the last year was reported by 18% of the patients and stress at home by 7%. Thirty-five percent of the patients were worried often or almost all the time about being rushed at work and 23% were worried about being unable to keep up with their workload. Concerning total life events, 20% reported that a close relative had had a serious illness and 27% had reasons to be worried about a close relative.

Conclusion

Our results indicated that patients with more intense UCP more often apply emotive coping in dealing with their pain. Given that emotive coping was also found to be related to disturbed sleep, negative life events, mental strain at work and physical activity, it may be of value to help these patients to both verbalise their emotions and to become cognizant of the influence of such factors on their pain experience.