Clinical scenario related to cardiovascular system: is it possible to develop thoracic pain imitating a musculoskeletal disorder? A scoping review

Abstract

Background: When assessing a patient presenting with thoracic pain it's important for the physiotherapist to quickly understand if the cause is a musculoskeletal condition or a dysfunction of the cardiovascular and circulatory system. Promptly referring the patient is essential to identify potentially life-threatening conditions at an early stage. Objectives: identifying the current state of knowledge regarding cardiovascular and circulatory systems conditions that generate a thoracic pain that resembles a musculoskeletal condition in extra-hospital settings. Methods: PCC considered: Population: Patients with thoracic pain. No limits of age and gender were established. Concept: The symptoms in the thoracic region are caused by cardiovascular disorders or dysfunctions. Context: We decided to exclude emergency contexts from this review to focus on the tools to make differential diagnosis without instrumental examinations. The research will be conducted on the following databases: Medline, CINAHL,Cochrane Library. Grey literature will be searched on Scopus and Google Scholar. The inclusion criteria will be: any type of study design. No geographical or temporal limits of publication will be applied. Only articles in English and Italian or at least with an English abstract will be considered Results:The results will be presented as a map of the data extracted from the included papers in a diagrammatic, tabular form, and in a descriptive format that aligns with the objectives and scope of the review. The results can also be classified under the main conceptual categories, such as: Features of the signs and symptoms; Level of concern; Systems involved (musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, gastroenterological, respiratory, psychological); Setting Instrumental tests