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Acute coronary syndrome

Prevalence
Clinical features
Differential diagnosis
Investigations
Therapy
Prevention
Prognosis
Prevalence

Unstable angina is a common cause of chest pain

Unstable angina is defined as

  • angina for < 1 month with increasing severity, frequency, or duration
  • a sudden worsening of previously stable angina without change in medical therapy
  • prolonged pain > 10 minutes or recurrent angina at rest
with evidence of ischaemic heart disease: any of
  • previous myocardial infarction or angina
  • transient ECG changes (ST depression or T-wave inversion in 2 or more leads, ST elevation, hyperacute T waves or both)
  • positive exercise test or angiography

 

 

Expiry date: June 2003
Levels of Evidence used in grading these guides

Authors   CM   Ball , N   Shenker
Reviewer   I K   Jang
CAT Writers   N   Shenker , CJ   Wotton , CM   Ball , RS   Phillips