Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Mortality Among Patients With Myocardial Infarction Presenting Without Chest Pain

Abstract

Chest pain has been reported as the cardinal clinical feature among patients who present with acute myocardial infarction (MI).¹ The World Health Organization requires the presence of chest pain as one of the cornerstone features in its diagnosis of MI.² The Rapid Early Action for Coronary Treatment study, a randomized controlled clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, was designed in part to test the effect of educating the public about the symptoms of MI and the benefits of early MI treatment.³ This media campaign used as its hallmark feature the presence of chest pain.