Diagnosis

When a patient comes to the hospital with chest pain, the following diagnostic steps are usually taken to determine any heart problems, and, if present, their severity:
The patient will report all symptoms so that a health care provider can rule out either a non-heart problem or possible other serious accompanying conditions.
An electrocardiogram (ECG) reading is taken, recording the waves made by the heart. It is the key tool for determining if heart problems are causing chest pain and, if so, how severe they are.
Blood tests showing elevated levels of certain factors (troponins and CK-MB) indicate heart damage. (The doctor will not wait for results, however, before administering treatment if a heart attack is strongly suspected.)
Imaging tests, including echocardiogram and perfusion scintigraphy, help rule