Chest pain in pediatrics

Chest pain in the pediatric population is a common and mostly benign occurrence. A thorough history and physical examination is usually all that is necessary in excluding the rare life-threatening causes of chest pain. These rare life-threatening events require immediate evaluation, treatment, and subspecialty consultation. Idiopathic chest pain is the most frequent diagnosis and the symptoms are typically chronic. Laboratory testing is usually nondiagnostic, costly, and burdensome to the patient and is therefore unnecessary. A long-term trusting relationship with the patient and family is what is needed to reassure them and allow symptoms to resolve.