2
Key Points
Scope of the Problem
Synopsis
➤ After injuries, chest pain is the second most common reason for
adults to present to the emergency department (ED) in the United
States and accounts for >6.5 million visits, which is 4.7% of all ED
visits.
➤ Chest pain also leads to nearly 4 million outpatient visits annually in
the United States.
➤ Chest pain remains a diagnostic challenge in the ED and outpatient
setting and requires thorough clinical evaluation.
• Although the cause of chest pain is often noncardiac, coronary artery disease
(CAD) affects >18.2 million adults in the United States and remains the leading
cause of death for men and women, accounting for >365,000 deaths annually.
• Distinguishing between serious and benign causes of chest pain is imperative.
• The lifetime prevalence of chest pain in the United States is 20% to 40%, and
women experience this symptom more often than men.
• Of all ED patients with chest pain, only 5.1% will have an acute coronary
syndrome (ACS), and more than half will ultimately be found to have a
noncardiac cause.
• Nonetheless, chest pain is the most common symptom of CAD in both men and
women.