Lingering Pain After Arterial Blood Draw

Chest pain is a very common complaint. Pain may be sharp or dull, although some people with a chest disorder describe their sensation as discomfort, tightness, pressure, gas, burning, or aching. Sometimes people also have pain in the back, neck, jaw, upper part of the abdomen, or arm. Other symptoms, such as nausea, cough, or difficulty breathing, may be present depending on the cause of the chest pain.

Many people are well aware that chest pain is a warning of potential life-threatening disorders and seek evaluation for minimal symptoms. Other people, including many with serious disease, minimize or ignore its warnings.

Many disorders cause chest pain or discomfort. Not all of these disorders involve the heart. Chest pain may also be caused by disorders of the digestive system, lungs, muscles, nerves, or bones.

Overall, the most common causes of chest pain are

• Disorders of the ribs, rib cartilage, chest muscles (musculoskeletal chest wall pain), or nerves in the chest

• Undiagnosed causes that go away on their own

Some causes of chest pain are immediately life threatening but, except for heart attack or unstable angina, are less common:

• Heart attack or unstable angina

Other causes range from serious, potential threats to disorders that are simply uncomfortable.

People with chest pain should be evaluated by a doctor. The following information can help people decide when evaluation is needed and help them know what to expect during the evaluation.

In people with chest pain or discomfort, certain symptoms and characteristics are cause for concern. They include

• Crushing or squeezing pain

• Shortness of breath

• Sweating

• Nausea or vomiting

• Pain in the back, neck, jaw, upper abdomen, or one of the shoulders or arms

• Light-headedness or fainting

• Sensation of rapid or irregular heartbeat

Although not all causes of chest pain are serious, because some causes are life threatening, the following people should see a doctor right away:

• Those with new chest pain (within several days)

• Those who have a warning sign

• Those who suspect that a heart attack is occurring (for example, because symptoms resemble a previous heart attack)

These people should call emergency services (911) or be taken to an emergency department as quickly as possible. People should not try to drive themselves to the hospital.

Chest pain that lasts for seconds (less than 30 seconds) is rarely caused by a heart disorder. People with very brief chest pain need to see a doctor, but emergency services are usually not needed.

People who have had chest pain for a longer time (a week or more) should see a outpatient doctor as soon as possible unless they develop warning signs or the pain has steadily been getting worse or coming more often, in which case they should go to the hospital right away.

Doctors first ask questions about the person's symptoms and medical history and then do a physical examination. What they find during the history and physical examination often suggests a cause of the chest pain and the tests that may need to be done.

However, symptoms due to dangerous and not dangerous chest disorders overlap and vary greatly. For example, although a typical heart attack causes dull, crushing chest pain, some people with a heart attack have only mild chest discomfort or complain only of indigestion or arm or shoulder pain (referred pain—see Figure: What Is Referred Pain? What Is Referred Pain? Pain is an unpleasant sensation signaling actual or possible injury. Pain is the most common reason people visit their doctor. Pain may be sharp or dull, intermittent or constant, or throbbing... read more ). On the other hand, people with indigestion may simply have an upset stomach, and those with shoulder pain may have only sore muscles. Similarly, although the chest is tender when touched in people with musculoskeletal chest wall pain, the chest can also be tender in people who are having a heart attack. Thus, doctors usually do tests on people with chest pain.

For adults with sudden chest pain, tests are done to rule out dangerous causes. For most people, initial tests include

• Measurement of oxygen levels with a sensor placed on a finger (pulse oximetry)

• Electrocardiography (ECG)

• Chest x-ray

In people who have had chest pain for a long time, immediate threats to life are unlikely. Most doctors initially do only a chest x-ray and then do other tests based on the person's symptoms and examination findings.

Specific identified disorders are treated. If the cause is not clearly benign, people are usually admitted to the hospital or an observation unit for heart monitoring and more extensive evaluation. Symptoms are treated with acetaminophen or opioids as needed until a diagnosis is made.

• Chest pain may be caused by serious life-threatening disorders, so people with new chest pain (within a few days) should get immediate medical attention.

• The symptoms of life-threatening and non–life-threatening disorders overlap, so testing is usually needed to determine a cause.

Generic Name	Select Brand Names
acetaminophen	TYLENOL
dipyridamole	PERSANTINE

Lingering Pain After Arterial Blood Draw

Source: https://www.merckmanuals.com/home/heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders/symptoms-of-heart-and-blood-vessel-disorders/chest-pain