Evaluation of chest pain in the pediatric patient.

Chest pain is common in children seen in emergency departments, ambulatory clinics, and cardiology clinics. Although most children have a benign cause of their pain, some have serious and life-threatening conditions. The symptom must be carefully evaluated before reassurance and supportive care are offered. Because serious causes of chest pain are uncommon and not many prospective studies are available, it is difficult to develop evidence-based guidelines for evaluation. The clinician evaluating a child with chest pain should keep in mind the broad differential diagnosis and pursue further investigation when the history and physical examination suggest the possibility of serious causes.