Chest Pain in the Pediatric Emergency Department: Evaluation of Clinical and Laboratory Findings of Patients

Aim: Chest pain is a very common complaint in children and adolescents, and it is one of the common reasons for applying to the pediatric emergency department. Determining the etiological causes of chest pain in childhood is necessary to apply the right treatment and relieve the family and child’s concerns. This study was planned to retrospectively examine the clinical and laboratory findings of children admitted to the pediatric emergency department with chest pain, evaluate the etiological causes, and investigate the pathological findings detected in cases with a cardiac cause. Material and Method: The study included pediatric patients aged <18 who presented to the pediatric emergency department with chest pain between January 2019 and January 2022. Patient files were reviewed retrospectively, and age, gender, time of admission and season, symptoms at presentation, physical examination findings, chest X-ray findings, electrocardiography and echocardiography findings, laboratory findings, final diagnosis, hospitalization, and duration were recorded. Results: Two hundred and forty-eight patients were included in the study, 119 (48%) of whom were male, while 129 (52%) were female. The median age was 14 years (IQR: 10–16). Mostly musculoskeletal, respiratory, and idiopathic causes were identified in the etiology of chest pain. In the cases with a cardiac cause, it was observed that chest pain was accompanied by symptoms such as palpitation and syncope, and pathological physical examination and ECG findings were more common. Conclusion: Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for referral to the pediatric emergency department. In contrast to adults, chest pain of cardiac origin is extremely rare in childhood, and the cause of chest pain is usually benign. While evaluating patients who present to the pediatric emergency department with chest pain, a detailed anamnesis, and comprehensive physical examination should provide guidance, and detailed tests should be performed in necessary cases.

Keywords:

children chest pain, pediatric emergency department,

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