Chest Pain

J. Willis Hurst MD a pioneer in the development of cardiology and his colleague Douglas C. Morris M.D. both of Emory University have edited this book and chose its unusual title for very specific reasons. Patients sometimes have an odd view as to anatomic landmarks that identify the location of the chest and may assign terms other than pain to their discomfort. Hence the quotation marks around chest pain. The arrow (-->) after chest pain indicates that the physician initially may not know the cause of the symptom so a differential diagnosis must be established. This book was written to reintroduce in the modern clinical setting the knowledge and skills needed to analyze symptoms physical findings and ECG and x-ray abnormalities in order to accurately diagnose more than 50 different conditions that may bring about a complaint of chest pain. Experts in the fields of cardiology pulmonology dermatology orthopedics thoracic surgery and psychiatry contribute a unique perspective on this common but compelling medical problem. Each chapter concentrates on one causative syndrome or malady from its initial presentation to its etiology to differential diagnosis and treatment while an abundance of well-designed figures serve to illustrate the location of the chest pain.Any cardiologist primary care or emergency care physician who may encounter a patient complaining of chest pain will benefit from this book''''s clear concise and thorough approach to the problem.