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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffIf you're experiencing chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes, get emergency care. When you see the admitting nurse and the doctor in the emergency room, you'll be asked a number of questions, which may include the following:
- When did the symptoms begin?
- Can you rate the severity of chest pain, such as on a scale of 1 to 10?
- Does anything worsen symptoms? For example, does it hurt more when you inhale deeply?
- Where is the pain located? Does it extend anywhere beyond your chest?
- Have you experienced a recent event that could cause tissue damage to the heart, such as a heart attack, heart surgery or blunt trauma to your chest?
- Do you have a history of heart disease?
- What prescription or over-the-counter medications are you taking?
- Who is your primary care doctor, heart specialist (cardiologist) or surgeon?
References
- Imazio M. The post-pericardiotomy syndrome. Current Opinion in Pulmonary Medicine. 2012;18:366.
- Crawford MH, ed. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Cardiology. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3648061. Accessed June 4, 2012.
- Hoit BD. Post-cardiac injury syndromes. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed June 4, 2012.
- Dudzinski DM, et al. Pericardial diseases. Current Problems in Cardiology. 2012;37:75.
- Imazio M, et al. Meta-analysis of randomized trials focusing on prevention of the postpericardiotomy syndrome. American Journal of Cardiology. 2011;108:575.
- Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 20, 2012.
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