Contents


Preface

Cardiovascular disease continues to be the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in both developed and developing countries. Chest pain is one of the common and distressing presentations of cardiovascular disease. The number of patients presenting to emergency rooms or to their healthcare providers with chest pain is ever-growing and constitutes one of the most common reasons to seek medical help. Out of these patients with chest pain, cardiovascular cause constitutes about 20% of the patients, and out of which only 5% is a truly acute life-threatening disease. Hence, it is very important to have a systematic approach to patients with chest pain. The clinical scenario is the most important factor to differentiate the various causes of chest pain so that these patients can be treated at the earliest to avoid a bad outcome. It also vital to diagnose non acute/non cardiac chest pains and decipher their etiology as these patients could be frequently visiting the health care

This book aims to provide an excellent overview of the differential diagnosis and approach to chest pain in various clinical settings. This book is divided into two sections including the introduction and approach to chest pain. Our introductory chapter starts with the basic principles of statistics and its application in various diagnostic modalities of heart disease. Our authors present a nice approach to patients presenting with chest pain in various scenarios. We have also included a chapter describing GERD, which could present as chest pain and another

chapter describing aortic dissection, which is a life-threatening disease presenting with chest pain. We hope that this book will serve as an accessible handbook on

I gratefully acknowledge the invaluable organizational skills of the publisher IntechOpen, timely, patient and invaluable assistance of Author Service Manager Ms. Dolores Kuzelj, designer, technical generators, information technology staff and finally the marketing representatives who are working constantly to promote the book on various platforms. I sincerely appreciate and applaud all the contributing authors for their excellence, hard work and commitment to the chapters. They have taken time from their personal and professional lives to

This book is dedicated to my son Shawn who continues to inspire me, making my life blissful and giving me the confidence that every generation is better than the

**Umashankar Lakshmanadoss MD, CCDS, FHRS**

Mercy Heart Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA

providers without a proper diagnosis.

differential diagnosis of chest pain.

one before.

complete this task. I thank them profusely for that.
