Be Cautious Diagnosing Anxiety and Panic Disorder in Patients | FreeMedSite

Be Cautious Diagnosing Anxiety and Panic Disorder in Patients with Chest Pain and Anxiety

Misdiagnosis of a cardiopulmonary condition as anxiety is a frequent occurrence.

Patients with acute life-threatening cardiac or pulmonary conditions often present with feelings of panic or impending doom in association with chest pain.

High stress and anger have been associated with an increased incidence of cardiovascular events.

Multiple studies have shown a link between anxiety disorders and higher rates of cardiac risk factors.

Misdiagnosis of a cardiopulmonary condition as anxiety is a frequent occurrence.

Nearly 10% of self-reported missed diagnoses consisted of acute coronary syndrome (ACS), pulmonary embolism (PE), or aortic dissection.

Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy (Condition Involving ACS and Emotional Distress) is a reversible cardiomyopathy that occurs in the setting of a severe emotional event.

While “anxiety” and “panic disorder” will likely remain frequent diagnoses for ED patients with chest pain, EPs must remain cautious to not prematurely jump to these diagnoses before a thorough evaluation is performed.

#anxiety #panicdisorder #ChestPain