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Chest pain

Scenario: Jack, in his mid-30s, confronts you, protesting: 'I can't breathe...the pain in me chest is real bad!' He appears to be quite unwell because of his pallor, breathlessness and cold moist skin.

This situation could be due to:

Heart attack. These do occur in younger age groups.

• Lung clot (or 'Pulmonary Embolus').
• An acute asthma attack.
• Fracture of the ribs. This is suggested if there has been a fall or a heavy injury to the chest.
• Pneumonia (a lung infection).
• A punctured lung ('Pneumothorax').

Advice:

Reassure Jack if he is anxious. Determine if he is currently being treated for this pain or has been treated for it in the past. Ask if he suffers with asthma or if he has fallen recently. If Anginine® has been prescribed, advise Jack to take the recommended dosage (see Heart pain 'angina').

Seek medical or ambulance assistance urgently if improvement does not occur within minutes. Note that chest pain that has been present in an unchanging manner for several weeks is less likely to indicate an emergency.