What is the diagnosis and treatment for causes of chest pain?
Treatment for chest pain depends upon the cause. Many times, situations require the evaluation, diagnosis and treatment occur at the same time, but when there is opportunity, the sequence of history, physical examination, testing, diagnosis, and treatment should be followed. A synopsis of common chest pain presentations and treatments follows. The Chest Wall Broken or bruised ribs Bruised or broken ribs are common injuries. Symptoms of broken or bruised ribs include: • Tenderness over the site of injury • A broken rib may be palpated (the healthcare provider can feel the rib fracture move when pressed) • The pain tends to be pleuritic (it hurts to take a deep breath and can be associated with shortness of breath). • Because the surrounding muscles go into spasm, there is pain with any movement of the trunk. The healthcare provider will want to listen to the chest to make certain that there is no associated lung damage. A chest x-ray may be done to look for a pneumothorax (collapsed lun
