Cardiac chest pain: identification, referral and management in primary care

By the end of this article, you should be able to: 

• Identify the main features and symptoms of cardiac chest pain to differentiate between stable angina, unstable angina and acute coronary syndrome;
• Understand the appropriate diagnostic tests and when to use them, including ECG and troponin assays, for evaluating chest pain in a primary care setting;
• Apply risk assessment tools, such as the ‘QRISK3’ score, to evaluate the likelihood of coronary artery disease and guide management decisions;
• Develop a management plan for patients presenting with chest pain, including referral criteria for specialist care and strategies for patient education and follow up.