Distress in My Chest: The Approach to a Student Presenting With “Chest Pain”

Abstract

Occasionally, students present with chest pain in the school setting. Therefore, it is important to develop a differential diagnosis for chest pain, to initiate stabilization of the student with life-threatening symptoms, and to triage these students to an appropriate level of care (back to the classroom, home with their guardian with follow up at their primary healthcare provider's office, or directly to the closest emergency department via emergency medical services). This article describes the initial assessment and management of a student presenting with chest pain.

School Nurses on the Front Lines of Healthcare: Serious Infections in Students and Their Common Presenting Complaints

“…While waiting for EMS to arrive, you realize that you have cards in your emergency operations notebook, cut and laminated from previously published articles from the “School Nurses on the Front Lines of Healthcare” articles on respiratory distress (Loaec & Olympia, 2018) and chest pain (Gay & Olympia, 2018), and review the mnemonics: “BREATHS” (Brain/Respiratory/Entrails/Airway/Trauma/Heart/Shock) for respiratory distress and “CHEST PAIN” (Chest wall/Heart/Esophageal/Syche/Trauma/Pulmonary/Abdominal/Infection/Neck) for chest pain.…”