Evaluation of the elderly patient with acute chest pain.

Chest pain is one of the most common and serious chief complaints. Geriatricians must be well versed in evaluating elderly patients who have chest pain. This article discusses the initial diagnostic evaluation of elderly patients with chest pain. Specific emphasis is placed on identifying acute coronary syndromes, aortic dissection, pulmonary embolism, and pericarditis with cardiac tamponade. By understanding the different presentations of these potentially life-threatening emergencies, the geriatrician will be better prepared to distinguish them from less dire conditions and to initiate prompt treatment.