Abstract

To improve outcomes for people with musculoskeletal chest pain (MSCP), the current study sought to ascertain the occurrence of MSCP in emergency departments (EDs) as a first step in developing and accessing therapies. This review was constructed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The current analysis compiled published observational studies where the prevalence of MSCP was either reported independently or in combination with other causes or calculated using available data. The Cochrane Library, SCOPUS, and PubMed were searched between the years 2002 and 2024. Six papers were included in this review. Patients with MSCP were included in the studies. The findings showed that MSCP was common in ED, providing a basis and justification for further research to improve care and outcomes for these patients. A significant portion of the noncardiac causes were attributed to somatization disorders and musculoskeletal (MSK) pathology. These results emphasized the need to update a strategy to avoid situations where all nonemergency instances of chest pain, particularly those involving the MSK system, are referred to the hospital for evaluation, thus overtaxing the ED.

Key words: Emergency department, musculoskeletal chest pain, non-cardiac chest pain, causes, systemic review