A closer look at the relationships between panic attacks, emergency department visits and non-cardiac chest pain. (May 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Foldes-Busque, Guillaume; Denis, Isabelle; Poitras, Julien; Fleet, Richard P; Archambault, Patrick; Dionne, Clermont E
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 24:Number 6(2019)
• Page Start: 717
• Page End: 725
• Publication Date: 2019-05
• Subjects: chest pain -- emergency department -- non-cardiac chest pain -- panic attacks -- panic disorder; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105316683785
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of emergency department visits prompted by panic attacks in patients with non-cardiac chest pain. A validated structured telephone interview was used to assess panic attacks and their association with the emergency department consultation in 1327 emergency department patients with non-cardiac chest pain. Patients reported at least one panic attack in the past 6 months in 34.5 per cent (95% confidence interval: 32.0%–37.1%) of cases, and 77.1 per cent (95% confidence interval: 73.0%–80.7%) of patients who reported panic attacks had visited the emergency department with non-cardiac chest pain following a panic attack. These results indicate that panic attacks may explain a significant proportion of emergency department visits for non-cardiac chest pain.