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Cardiovascular Medicine

Chest Pain

Evaluate acute chest pain with immediate ECG, high-sensitivity troponin, and structured risk pathways while actively excluding ACS, aortic syndromes, pulmonary embolism, and other lethal alternatives. Stable symptoms require contemporary pretest assessment and selective anatomic or functional testing rather than routine testing.

Clinical question: How should clinicians rapidly exclude acute myocardial infarction and appropriately evaluate suspected stable ischemic chest pain?

Immediate triage

Separate unstable from stable presentations before choosing a test

The first decision is disposition, not test modality.

Acute chest pain is new discomfort or a change in pattern, intensity, or duration. Stable chest pain is chronic and consistently provoked by exertion or emotional stress. In any acute presentation, prioritize ACS, acute aortic syndrome, pulmonary embolism, tension pneumothorax, and esophageal rupture before pursuing outpatient-style ischemia testing. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Features increasing ischemic concern include diffuse retrosternal pressure, tightness, heaviness, or squeezing that builds over minutes; exertional or emotional provocation; radiation to the arm, neck, jaw, back, or upper abdomen; and accompanying dyspnea, diaphoresis, nausea, palpitations, lightheadedness, or syncope. Brief pain lasting seconds, pain localized to a very small area, and pain that is positional or pleuritic lower—but do not eliminate—ischemic probability. Relief with nitroglycerin is not diagnostic. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Initial clinical findings that change the urgent diagnostic pathway. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
FindingImmediate implicationNext action
Persistent ischemic discomfort with ST-elevation or suspected STEMI equivalentProbable acute coronary occlusionActivate STEMI reperfusion pathway; do not delay reperfusion for troponin results. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
New ischemic ST depression, dynamic T-wave change, or elevated/rising troponinHigh-risk suspected NSTE-ACS or myocardial injuryHospital-based ACS evaluation and risk-directed invasive management. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
Abrupt tearing chest/back pain with dissection featuresPossible acute aortic syndromeUrgent aortic CTA if stable; use echocardiography to assess complications when relevant. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Pleuritic pain with dyspnea or venous thromboembolism riskPossible pulmonary embolismApply pretest-risk assessment; use D-dimer selectively or PE-protocol CTA. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Acute chest pain

Use ECG, high-sensitivity troponin, and a validated clinical decision pathway

No single symptom, ECG, or biomarker result safely rules out ACS in isolation.

Obtain a 12-lead ECG and interpret it within 10 minutes of presentation. Compare with prior tracings when available. A normal initial ECG is insufficient to exclude ACS; repeat ECGs for persistent or recurrent symptoms, clinical deterioration, or evolving concern. Obtain posterior leads when isolated ST depression in V1 through V3 raises concern for posterior infarction, and right-sided leads when inferior STEMI suggests right ventricular involvement. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

High-sensitivity troponin I or T is preferred for identifying or excluding myocardial injury. Myocardial injury is indicated by a value above the assay-specific 99th-percentile upper reference limit; MI requires a rise and/or fall in troponin with clinical evidence of ischemia. Interpret values using assay-specific thresholds, serial change criteria, symptom onset, ECG findings, and competing causes of injury. Elevated troponin may occur with noncoronary cardiac and noncardiac illness and should not automatically be labeled ACS. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Use an institutional clinical decision pathway rather than unstructured judgment alone. With hs-cTn, validated 0/1-hour, 0/2-hour, or other assay-specific serial strategies can identify patients at very low short-term risk. A single hs-cTn strategy is limited to patients with symptoms beginning at least 3 hours before testing and an assay result below the relevant low threshold. Conventional troponin assays require longer serial sampling, generally 3 to 6 hours after ED arrival. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Practical interpretation of acute chest pain testing. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
Test or pathway componentInterpretive pointAction
Initial 12-lead ECGST-elevation requires immediate STEMI-directed management; absence of ST-elevation does not exclude ACS. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...Treat STEMI immediately; obtain serial ECGs when concern persists. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
hs-cTn above 99th percentileIndicates myocardial injury, not necessarily type 1 MI. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...Assess rise/fall, ischemic evidence, and alternative causes such as myocarditis, aortic dissection, or PE. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...nice org ukRecent-onset chest pain of suspected cardiac origin ...
Serial hs-cTn low value and low deltaSupports low short-term risk when used within an assay-specific pathway. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Discharge may be appropriate if clinical assessment and ECG are concordantly low risk. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Prior normal CCTA without plaque or stenosisGuideline warranty period is 2 years if symptoms are unchanged. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Further acute CAD testing is often low yield if there is no biomarker injury or new symptom pattern. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Prior adequate normal stress testGuideline warranty period is 1 year if symptoms are unchanged. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Reassess if symptom frequency, severity, or clinical context has changed. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Suspected ACS

Begin time-sensitive treatment without obscuring the diagnosis

Management should proceed in parallel with diagnostic clarification.

For suspected ACS, EMS transport is preferred because prehospital monitoring, ECG acquisition, and treatment can reduce delays and support resuscitation if deterioration occurs. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ... Aspirin should be given promptly unless contraindicated; the 2025 ACC/AHA ACS guideline recommends an oral loading dose of 162 to 325 mg followed by 75 to 100 mg daily. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Do not administer supplemental oxygen routinely when oxygen saturation is at least 90%; provide oxygen for hypoxemia, with a target saturation of at least 90%. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ... Sublingual nitroglycerin may be used in hemodynamically stable patients, but avoid it with suspected right ventricular infarction, systolic blood pressure below 90 mm Hg, or recent phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor exposure. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Patients with confirmed ACS require syndrome-specific antiplatelet therapy, parenteral anticoagulation, reperfusion or invasive management, and secondary prevention. The 2025 ACC/AHA guideline recommends ticagrelor or prasugrel over clopidogrel for ACS patients undergoing PCI, while recognizing bleeding-risk and contraindication tradeoffs. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Selected source-supported initial medication details for suspected or confirmed ACS. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
TherapySource-supported regimenKey restrictions
Aspirin162-325 mg orally as a loading dose; maintenance 75-100 mg orally daily. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...Avoid with clear allergy or absolute contraindication. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
NitroglycerinSublingual 0.3 or 0.4 mg every 5 minutes as needed for up to 3 doses; IV infusion begins at 10 micrograms/min and is titrated to relief and hemodynamics when needed. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...Avoid with SBP <90 mm Hg, suspected RV infarction, or recent PDE5 inhibitor exposure. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
MorphineIV 2-4 mg; may repeat every 5-15 minutes if needed. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...Reserve for pain resistant to maximally tolerated anti-ischemic therapy; may delay oral P2Y12 inhibitor effect. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
OxygenGive for peripheral oxygen saturation <90%; routine oxygen offers no benefit in normoxemic suspected MI. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...Avoid liberal oxygen in normoxemia. AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Stable symptoms

Estimate pretest probability before ordering noninvasive testing

Test selection should answer a specific anatomic or ischemic question.

For stable symptoms without known CAD, use a contemporary pretest estimate based on age, sex, and symptom characteristics; older Diamond-Forrester approaches overestimate obstructive CAD in contemporary populations. Noninvasive testing is most beneficial when pretest probability exceeds 15%; testing may be considered at lower probability when clinical judgment supports it. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Stable anginal features are constricting chest, neck, shoulder, jaw, or arm discomfort precipitated by exertion and relieved by rest or nitroglycerin. Two of three features represent atypical angina and one or none represent nonanginal pain, but symptom labels should not override risk factors, evolving symptoms, or clinician concern. BMJAngina: contemporary diagnosis and managementnice org ukRecent-onset chest pain of suspected cardiac origin ...

For low-risk stable chest pain, defer urgent testing when clinical probability is low. Coronary artery calcium testing can help identify a low-risk group when CAC is zero, and exercise ECG without imaging is a reasonable option when the patient can exercise and the resting ECG is interpretable. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Selection of testing in stable chest pain without known CAD. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Clinical settingPreferred strategyImportant limitation or next step
Low pretest probabilityDefer urgent testing; CAC scoring or exercise ECG may be considered in selected patients. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Continue evaluation for noncoronary diagnoses and manage cardiovascular risk. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Intermediate-high probability, younger patient, plaque definition neededCCTA. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Use FFR-CT or stress imaging for intermediate stenoses when functional significance is uncertain. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Intermediate-high probability, older patient or higher ischemia likelihoodStress imaging with PET, SPECT, stress echocardiography, or stress CMR. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Choose modality based on exercise capacity, baseline ECG, renal function, body habitus, and local expertise. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Persistent symptoms with nonobstructive CADEvaluate for INOCA with flow-reserve assessment or invasive coronary function testing when appropriate. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Anatomic testing alone cannot exclude microvascular dysfunction or vasospasm. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

When to escalate after initial testing

For an intermediate coronary stenosis on CCTA, FFR-CT can provide lesion-specific ischemia assessment, particularly for 40% to 90% proximal or mid-coronary stenoses. Patients with high-risk CAD anatomy, including left main stenosis of at least 50% or anatomically significant three-vessel disease, require invasive evaluation and guideline-directed management. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

If stable symptoms persist despite nonobstructive coronary findings or a negative anatomic test, do not dismiss ischemia. Consider INOCA, especially in women and patients with hypertension or diabetes. PET myocardial blood-flow reserve, stress CMR blood-flow reserve, stress echocardiographic coronary flow velocity reserve, or invasive coronary function testing can identify microvascular dysfunction or vasomotor abnormalities. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Known coronary disease

Optimize medical therapy and use testing to direct revascularization decisions

Symptoms, ischemic burden, anatomy, and patient goals determine escalation.

For stable chest pain with known CAD, first assess whether preventive and anti-ischemic therapy can be intensified. In patients with frequent symptoms despite guideline-directed therapy, severe stress-induced ischemia, high-risk anatomy, or new high-risk clinical findings, invasive angiography may be appropriate if revascularization is consistent with patient goals. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Invasive physiologic assessment should guide revascularization of intermediate lesions. FFR of 0.80 or less or instantaneous wave-free ratio of 0.89 or less identifies lesion-specific ischemia used to guide PCI. BMJAngina: contemporary diagnosis and managementAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ... In stable CAD, an initial invasive strategy does not reduce the composite primary MACE endpoint compared with a conservative strategy in the ISCHEMIA trial, but patients with frequent angina experienced more prompt and durable symptom improvement with invasive management. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

High-value follow-up decisions after coronary testing. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...
ResultClinical interpretationNext step
No plaque or stenosis on CCTALow near-term obstructive CAD risk, but does not explain all noncoronary or microvascular symptoms. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Evaluate alternate causes; reconsider INOCA only if symptoms and objective ischemic concern persist. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Nonobstructive plaqueEstablished CAD with preventive-treatment implications. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Intensify prevention and assess ischemia if symptoms persist. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
Intermediate stenosisAnatomic severity alone may not establish ischemic significance. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Use FFR-CT, stress imaging, or invasive physiology based on clinical context. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...
High-risk anatomy or severe ischemiaPotential prognostic and symptom-management implications. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...Refer for invasive angiography and Heart Team or revascularization assessment as appropriate. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

Common questions

Can a normal ECG exclude acute coronary syndrome?

No. A normal or unchanged initial ECG does not exclude ACS. Repeat ECGs are indicated when symptoms persist, recur, or clinical concern remains, and serial hs-cTn testing should be interpreted in an assay-specific pathway. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

When can a single high-sensitivity troponin rule out MI?

A single hs-cTn strategy is limited to patients with symptom onset at least 3 hours before testing and a result below the applicable assay-specific low threshold. Otherwise, use serial testing and delta interpretation. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...AHA Journals2025 ACC/AHA/ACEP/NAEMSP/SCAI Guideline for the ...

Does relief with nitroglycerin prove ischemic chest pain?

No. Nitroglycerin response is not diagnostic of myocardial ischemia and should not be used to distinguish cardiac from esophageal or other chest pain. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...nice org ukRecent-onset chest pain of suspected cardiac origin ...

Which stable chest pain patients need CCTA versus stress imaging?

For intermediate-high pretest probability, CCTA is generally favored in younger patients and when plaque characterization changes prevention decisions; stress imaging is often favored in older patients or those with higher ischemia likelihood, extensive calcification, uninterpretable ECG, or limited CCTA feasibility. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

What should be considered after angina symptoms with nonobstructive coronary arteries?

Consider INOCA, including microvascular dysfunction and vasomotor disorders. PET or CMR flow-reserve assessment, stress echocardiographic coronary flow velocity reserve, or invasive coronary function testing may establish an actionable endotype. AHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR Guideline for the Evaluation and Diagnosis of Chest Pain: Executive Summary: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice GuidelinesAHA Journals2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR ...

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