Question

You are treating a 40-year-old male for a sudden onset of chest pain during his daily run. He presents sitting on a park bench in no outward distress. He says the pain started in his chest about 10 minutes ago, but when he stopped his run and sat down, it went away. What do you suspect the underlying problem to be?

A) Angina
B) Aortic dissection
C) Pulmonary embolism
D) Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Answer 1

The underlying problem is angina, which is chest pain or pressure that occurs when the heart muscle does not receive enough blood flow. The patient's symptoms are consistent with stable angina, which is triggered by exertion and improved with rest.

Step-by-step explanation:

The underlying problem in this case is angina. Angina is chest pain or pressure that occurs when heart muscle cells do not receive adequate blood flow and become starved of oxygen. It can be classified as stable angina, which is triggered by exertion and is relieved quickly with rest, or unstable angina, which occurs at rest and lasts longer than 15 minutes. The symptoms described by the patient, including chest pain during exercise that resolves with rest, are consistent with stable angina.