[Characteristics of chest pain in acute coronary syndromes seen in the cardiology department of Befelatanana (Madagascar)].

INTRODUCTION

Chest pain is one of the different elements of orientation for the diagnosis of acute coronary syndrome. Sometimes its clinical presentation is misleading. The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics of chest pain during an acute coronary syndrome in the cardiology department of the Joseph Raseta Befelatanana University Hospital Center, Antananarivo, Madagascar.

METHODS

We carried out a cross-sectional, descriptive study of 10 months from January 2019 to October 2019. All patients diagnosed with acute coronary syndrome during this period were included.

RESULTS

Sixty-five cases were included. A "typical chest pain" was only encountered in 7.7% of cases. Advanced age (p = 0.04) and sedentary lifestyle (p = 0.03) were associated with the occurrence of silent myocardial ischemia, and. hypertension with a prolonged duration (≥15 minutes) of chest pain (p = 0.03). Dyslipidemia was associated with atypical irradiation of chest pain (p = 0.003). Alcoholism had an impact on pain triggered by effort (p = 0.01) and relieved by rest (p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

The current symptomatology of acute coronary syndrome is increasingly atypical. Knowledge of the factors that can influence the different characteristics of chest pain could serve as a benchmark in clinical practice in our population.