Comprehensive Chest Assessments

Running head: COMPREHENSIVE CHEST ASSESSMENTS
COMPREHENSIVE CHEST ASSESSMENTS
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author note:

COMPREHENSIVE CHEST ASSESSMENTS1
Introduction
Chest pains like angina pectoris often caused due to cardiovascular disease and are often
an indication of an impending episode of ischemia. Alternatively, disorders across organs like
lungs, stomach of gall bladder may also be associated with chest pain (Hsia, Hale & Tabas,
2016). The following paper briefly discusses on the required assessment and clinical
interventions upon detection of cardiac chest pain.
Discussion
Differentiation
 Pain Quality: In case of chest pain associated with angina or ischemia of the, it is likely
that the patient will associated their pan with descriptors or feelings like ‘chest fullness’,
‘constriction’, ‘tightening or discomfort’ or Levine’s signs similar to feeling a weighted
or knot-like tightening of the chest. A musculoskeletal or pulmonary pain is likely to be
described as a stabbing or sharp pain in the chest.
 Pain Location: Pains of cardiac origin are usually loosely described to be felt at the
upper abdominal or central or overall chest regions while pulmonary or musculoskeletal
pains are likely to be described to occur specifically at left or right regions by the patient.
 Pain Radiation: A chest pain of cardiac origin, in comparison to a muscular or
pulmonary chest pain, are likely to radiate from the chest to almost every region of the
upper body, namely the lower jaws, neck, teeth, arms and shoulders as well as across the
back and upper extremities
 Pain Timing: Cardiac or ischemic pains are likely to be of short duration and are
followed after strenuous activity. This because physical activity stimulates cardiac