Question

What are the 5 main life-threatening causes of chest pain?

Answer

The 5 main life-threatening causes of chest pain you should ALWAYS think of are:

1. Acute Myocardial Infarction
2. Pulmonary Thromboembolism
3. Pneumothorax (risk of tension)
4. Pericarditis (risk of tamponade)
5. Aortic Dissection

There are a few others that should also cross your mind:

1. Esophageal Rupture (Boerhaave’s Syndrome)
2. Acute Chest Syndrome in Sickle Cell patients
3. Unstable angina

References

1. The Five Deadly Causes of Chest Pain Other than Myocardial Infarction. JEMS. 2017
2. Chest Pain.  Life in The Fastlane.
3. Woods WA, Young JS, Just JS. Emergency Medicine Recall.  2000.