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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Pain In The Chest Radiating To The Left Arm?

I am a student trying to answer a heart related hypothetical question. A male smoker with chest pain that radiates to his left arm also gets frequent pain while exercising. No shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting. He is on medication for hypertension and hyperlipidemia and he is 55 years old. He stopped using nicotene patches and had father who died of a myocardial infarction (heart attack) at 56. His physical exam was exceptional with the exception of his high blood pressure. It sounds like he suffered from a mild heart attack due to pain in his arm. Is that correct?
Tue, 14 May 2019
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General & Family Physician,  's  Response
Hello,

Your vignette is suggestive of an individual experiencing angina. The next few tests would be to undergo an EKG. In the absence of an abnormality, he would need to undergo stress testing to evaluate if there are inducible anginas on exertion. In the case that the test is positive, he could undergo angiography to evaluate blocked vessels. EKG changes suggestive of MI, Elevated CKMB or TropT would indicate that the man had an MI.

Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further.

Regards,
Dr. Pranav Balakrishnan, General & Family Physician
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What Causes Pain In The Chest Radiating To The Left Arm?

Hello, Your vignette is suggestive of an individual experiencing angina. The next few tests would be to undergo an EKG. In the absence of an abnormality, he would need to undergo stress testing to evaluate if there are inducible anginas on exertion. In the case that the test is positive, he could undergo angiography to evaluate blocked vessels. EKG changes suggestive of MI, Elevated CKMB or TropT would indicate that the man had an MI. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. Regards, Dr. Pranav Balakrishnan, General & Family Physician