Noncardiac Chest Pain—An Asia-Pacific Survey on the Role of the Cardiologist

Non‐cardiac chest pain in Asia: Time for a consensus

“…Although all patients in the study by Hanizam et al . had an angiogram, in practice, only 11% of cardiologists in the Asian Pacific region would order an angiogram to exclude cardiac causes in patients presenting with NCCP 5,8 . Amongst gastroenterologists and primary care physicians, the preferred cardiac investigation was resting or treadmill electrocardiogram (ECG) 9,10 .…”

“…Utilization of the PPI test as both a means of investigation and treatment in NCCP is common in the Asia Pacific region 8–10 . Symptom response from the PPI test has been used to identify GERD in SE Asian patients with NCCP with a sensitivity of 92% and specificity of 67% 15 .…”

“…At present, after the exclusion of cardiac causes, the suggested best test in the evaluation of NCCP is 24‐h esophageal pH monitoring combined with symptom analysis 11–13 . However, in practice, endoscopy, PPI test and chest radiograph were most frequently ordered by cardiologists, gastroenterologists and primary care physicians in the Asia Pacific region 8–10 . pH studies are not frequently utilized in this region.…”