This could be either cardiac or gastric. I need to take a more detailed history.
| POSSIBLE CARDIAC | POSSIBLE GASTRIC |
|---|---|
| Chest | Epigastrium |
| Dull ache | Burning/thought to be relieved by indigestion tablets |
| Climbing stairs | After food |
| Arm radiation (also legs!) | Poor diet |
| Risk factors: BP ok but sedentary job, overweight , male late 40″s | Unsocial hours eating patterns |
Pulse point
It is common that patients present with a mixture of symptoms making a differential diagnosis challenging. Using a focused approach assists the clinical decision making process.
It is not uncommon for it to be difficult to ascertain if chest pain is likely cardiac in origin however it is essential that the possibility of this is not missed. This is why it is important to dig deeper and take a more in-depth history.
Page last reviewed: 01 Jun 2020
