Unstable Angina
Alternate Names : Unstable Angina Pectoris
How is the condition diagnosed?
The diagnosis of unstable angina begins with a careful history of the person's
symptoms and a physical examination. Unstable angina is usually diagnosed when:
a person with stable angina has a sudden increase in the number or severity
of episodes of chest pain over the
previous days or weeks
a person without angina develops increasing episodes of chest pain or chest
pain at rest
a person, who may or may not have had angina in the past, develops prolonged chest pain
but does not show evidence of a heart
attack
The healthcare provider may order several diagnostic tests, including:
an electrocardiogram, or ECG,
which is a recording of the electrical activity of the heart. An ECG is usually
normal when a person has no chest pain and often shows certain changes when
pain develops.
a cardiac catheterization,
which is an X-ray procedure that is used to look for narrowed coronary
arteries. A contrast agent is injected so the doctor can watch blood flow
through the heart and its arteries.
various blood tests
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