2022 ACC/AHA Key Data Elements and Definitions for Chest Pain and Acute Myocardial Infarction

Published: August 30, 2022

Midsection of Woman Suffering From Chest Pain Against White Background
  • Chest pain is the second most common reason for adults to present to an emergency department in the United States, accounting for >7 million visits annually.
  • Although noncardiac causes of chest pain account for a large majority of these cases, there are several dangerous and life-threatening causes of chest pain that must be identified and treated promptly. Distinguishing between serious and nonserious causes of chest pain is an urgent imperative.
  • These data standards present a set of data elements and definitions that could be used to describe clinical care relevant for chest pain and acute MI, as outlined in the 2021 AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain.