Chest pain in children and adolescents is typically benign and noncardiac, requiring careful history and physical examination rather than extensive testing.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports focused history and exam in pediatric chest pain; leaves open prospective studies to identify rare cardiac cases.
In brief Chest pain in children and adolescents is usually benign and noncardiac, unlike that in adults. Some of the more common causes are activity related, such as chest wall trauma and exercise-induced asthma. A careful history and physical examination will often provide a diagnosis, though about one third of causes are idiopathic. Most patients will not require extensive testing or referral. Education and reassurance are essential for relieving patient and parent anxiety.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Bernhardt et al. (1994) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: