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非心源性胸痛(non-cardiac chest pain,NCCP)是在缺乏明显的活动性冠状动脉性疾病证据的情况下,反复发生的心绞痛样胸骨后疼痛的症状。NCCP广义上的概念是很复杂的,应包括微血管心绞痛(运动试验阳性,但冠状动脉造影正常)、肌肉骨骼疾病、精神疾病、肺源性疾病、心包疾病、胆源性疾病及胃和食管源性疾病等[1-2]。NCCP特异性定义是指胃食管疾病引起的反复发作的胸骨后疼痛或不适,而不是由于缺血性心脏病引起的胸痛,还应该除外其他非食管源性的一些原因,如肌肉骨骼、胸膜及肺等。胃食管反流病(GERD)是引起NCCP较为常见的原因,NCCP是G…     

Non-cardiac, non-oesophageal chest pain: the relevance of psychological factors

Background—No cause has been determined for chest pain that is neither cardiac nor oesophageal in origin.
Aims—To compare the prevalence of lifetime psychiatric disorders and current psychological distress in three consecutive series of patients with chronic chest or abdominal pain.
Patients—Thirty nine patients with non-cardiac chest pain and no abnormality on oesophagogastroduodenoscopy, oesophageal manometry, and 24 hour pH monitoring; 22 patients with non-cardiac chest pain having endoscopic abnormality, oesophageal dysmotility, and/or pathological reflux; and 36 patients with biliary colic.
Methods—The Diagnostic Interview Schedule and the 28 item General Health Questionnaire were administered to all patients.
Results—Patients with non-cardiac chest pain and no upper gastrointestinal disease had a higher proportion of panic disorder (15%), obsessive-compulsive disorder (21%), and major depressive episodes (28%) than patients with gallstone disease (0%, p<0.02; 3%, p<0.02; and 8%, p<0.05, respectively). In contrast, there were no differences between patients with non-cardiac chest pain and upper gastrointestinal disease and patients with gallstone disease in any of the DSM-111 defined lifetime psychiatric diagnoses. Using the General Health Questionnaire, 49% of patients with non-cardiac chest pain without upper gastrointestinal disease scored above the cut off point (that is, more than 4), which was considered indicative of non-psychotic psychiatric disturbance, whereas only 14% of patients with gallstones did so (p<0.005). The proportions of such cases were however similar between patients with non-cardiac chest pain and upper gastrointestinal disease (27%) and patients with gallstones.
Conclusions—Psychological factors may play a role in the pathogenesis of chest pain that is neither cardiac nor oesophagogastric in origin.

Keywords: chest pain;  oesophageal manometry;  gastro-oesophageal reflux disease;  oesophageal pH monitoring;  psychiatric illness

     

Evaluation of technician supervised treadmill exercise testing in a cardiac chest pain clinic

OBJECTIVE: To determine the efficacy and safety of trained cardiac technicians independently performing treadmill exercise stress tests as part of the assessment of patients with suspected angina pectoris. DESIGN: Retrospective comparison of 250 exercise tests performed by cardiac technicians and 225 tests performed by experienced cardiology clinical assistants (general practitioners who perform regular NHS cardiology duties), and consultant cardiologists over the same time period. SETTING: Regional cardiac centre with a dedicated cardiac chest pain clinic. PATIENTS: All patients were referred by their general practitioners with a history of recent onset of chest pain, which was suspected to be angina pectoris. OUTCOME MEASURES: Peak workload achieved, symptoms, indications for termination, complications. RESULTS: The diagnostic yield of technician supervised tests (percentage positive or negative) was similar to that of medically supervised tests (76% v 69%, NS). The average peak workload achieved by patients was less by 1.2 mets (p < 0.005). This was probably due to more tests being terminated earlier due to chest pain and ST segment depression in the technician group compared with doctors (10% and 16% v 5% and 11% respectively, p = 0.06 and 0.07). One patient in the technician supervised group developed a supraventricular tachycardia during the recovery phase of the exercise test. CONCLUSIONS: Technician supervised stress testing is associated with a high diagnostic rate and low complication rate in patients with suspected ischaemic heart disease. Its efficacy is comparable to tests supervised by experienced doctors and its use should be encouraged.     

Limited value of the resting electrocardiogram in assessing patients with recent onset chest pain: lessons from a chest pain clinic.

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate a clinic set up specifically to assess patients with recent onset chest pain, particularly those presenting with a normal resting electrocardiogram. DESIGN--Retrospective review of case notes. SETTING--Cardiac department of a tertiary referral cardiothoracic centre. PATIENTS--250 consecutive patients with recent onset chest pain seen within 24 hours of general practitioner referral. OUTCOME MEASURES--Clinical diagnosis and management. RESULTS--40% of patients were seen within seven days of the onset of symptoms. Twenty seven per cent had non-cardiac symptoms and could be discharged while 60% were considered to have cardiac pain. Sixty six patients (26%) were admitted directly from the clinic and 48 of these underwent coronary angiography within three weeks. Seventy patients (28%) have so far undergone intervention (angioplasty or coronary artery surgery), 22 within one month of presentation. One hundred and nine patients (44%) presented with a normal resting electrocardiogram, 21 of whom were considered to have unstable angina. Forty one of these patients were investigated of whom 37 were found to have significant coronary disease and 26 have undergone intervention. CONCLUSIONS--This experience highlights the inadequacy of a routine electrocardiogram reporting service in patients with recent onset of chest pain. An alternative facility offering immediate and complete cardiac assessment produced patient benefit with early diagnosis and intervention. Investigation of these patients, however, accounted for 5% of cardiac catheterisation laboratory throughput; this was a significant additional and unscheduled workload.     

Limited value of the resting electrocardiogram in assessing patients with recent onset chest pain: lessons from a chest pain clinic.

OBJECTIVE--To evaluate a clinic set up specifically to assess patients with recent onset chest pain, particularly those presenting with a normal resting electrocardiogram. DESIGN--Retrospective review of case notes. SETTING--Cardiac department of a tertiary referral cardiothoracic centre. PATIENTS--250 consecutive patients with recent onset chest pain seen within 24 hours of general practitioner referral. OUTCOME MEASURES--Clinical diagnosis and management. RESULTS--40% of patients were seen within seven days of the onset of symptoms. Twenty seven per cent had non-cardiac symptoms and could be discharged while 60% were considered to have cardiac pain. Sixty six patients (26%) were admitted directly from the clinic and 48 of these underwent coronary angiography within three weeks. Seventy patients (28%) have so far undergone intervention (angioplasty or coronary artery surgery), 22 within one month of presentation. One hundred and nine patients (44%) presented with a normal resting electrocardiogram, 21 of whom were considered to have unstable angina. Forty one of these patients were investigated of whom 37 were found to have significant coronary disease and 26 have undergone intervention. CONCLUSIONS--This experience highlights the inadequacy of a routine electrocardiogram reporting service in patients with recent onset of chest pain. An alternative facility offering immediate and complete cardiac assessment produced patient benefit with early diagnosis and intervention. Investigation of these patients, however, accounted for 5% of cardiac catheterisation laboratory throughput; this was a significant additional and unscheduled workload.     

Non-cardiac chest pain: Prevalence of reflux disease and response to acid suppression in an Asian population

Background:  Gastroesophageal reflux disease is thought to be the commonest cause of 'non-cardiac chest pain'. The use of proton-pump inhibitors resulting in improvement in the chest pain symptom would support this causal association.
Objectives:  To determine the prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in non-cardiac chest pain and the response of chest pain to proton-pump inhibitor therapy.
Methods:  Patients with recurrent angina-like chest pain and normal coronary angiogram were recruited. The frequency and severity of chest pain were recorded. All patients underwent esophagogastroduodenoscopy and 48-h Bravo ambulatory pH monitoring before receiving rabeprazole 20 mg bd for 2 weeks.
Results:  The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease was 66.7% (18/27). The improvement in chest pain score was significantly higher in reflux compared to non-reflux patients ( P  = 0.006). The proportion of patients with complete or marked/moderate improvement in chest pain symptoms were significantly higher in patients with reflux (15/18, 83.3%) compared to those without (1/9, 11.1%) ( P  < 0.001).
Conclusion:  The prevalence of gastroesophageal reflux disease in patients with 'non-cardiac chest pain' was high. The response to treatment with proton-pump inhibitors in patients with reflux disease, but not in those without, underlined the critical role of acid reflux in a subset of patients with 'non-cardiac chest pain'.     

Non-cardiac QTc-prolonging drugs and the risk of sudden cardiac death.

AIMS: To assess the association between the use of non-cardiac QTc-prolonging drugs and the risk of sudden cardiac death. METHODS AND RESULTS: A population-based case-control study was performed in the Integrated Primary Care Information (IPCI) project, a longitudinal observational database with complete medical records from more than 500,000 persons. All deaths between 1 January 1995 and 1 September 2003 were reviewed. Sudden cardiac death was classified based on the time between onset of cardiovascular symptoms and death. For each case, up to 10 random controls were matched for age, gender, date of sudden death, and general practice. The exposure of interest was the use of non-cardiac QTc-prolonging drugs. Exposure at the index date was categorized into three mutually exclusive groups of current use, past use, and non-use. The study population comprised 775 cases of sudden cardiac death and 6297 matched controls. Current use of any non-cardiac QTc-prolonging drug was associated with a significantly increased risk of sudden cardiac death (adjusted OR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.6-4.7). The risk of death was highest in women and in recent starters. CONCLUSION: The use of non-cardiac QTc-prolonging drugs in a general population is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death.     

Pain recollection after chest pain of cardiac origin

Memory for pain is an important research and clinical issue since patients ability to accurately recall pain plays a prominent role in medical practice. The purpose of this prospective study was to find out if patients, with an episode of chest pain due to suspected acute myocardial infarction could accurately retrieve the pain initially experienced at home and during the first day of hospitalization after 6 months. A total of 177 patients were included in this analysis. The patients rated their experience of pain on a numerical rating scale. The maximal pain at home was retrospectively assessed, thereafter pain assessments were made at several points of time after admission. After 6 months they were asked to recall the intensity of pain and once again rate it on the numerical rating scale. The results from the initial and 6-month registrations were compared. In general, patients rated their maximal intensity of chest pain as being higher at the 6-month recollection as compared with the assessments made during the initial hospitalization. In particular, in patients with a high level of emotional distress, there was a systematic overestimation of the pain intensity at recall.     

Use of cardiac enzymes in the evaluation of acute chest pain

Diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) rests upon detailed clinical evaluation of the patient, careful examination of the ECG, and utilization of cardiac enzymes only in those patients admitted to rule out this diagnosis. Any tendency by physicians to diminish emphasis on either of these first two diagnostic criteria, or to inappropriately utilize cardiac enzymes as a screening device, contributes to costly and inefficient errors in diagnosis and disposition of patients with chest pain. Utilization of recently developed mathematical models may prove effective in enhancing clinical judgment and presenting such errors.