MedicineNet

Chest Pain Center - Scranton, PA

WebMD Physician Directory

Scranton, Pennsylvania

Upcoming Local Events

2012-05-28
2012 Tortoise & Hare 5K
Wind Gap, Pennsylvania
2012-06-02
BES Paws to the Pavement Run/Walk
Blairstown, New Jersey
2012-06-02
4th Annual Mighty Masser 5K Run / Walk
Coal Township, Pennsylvania
2012-06-02
Kreidersville Covered Bridge Challenge
Northampton, Pennsylvania
2012-06-17
The Virtual Father's Day Run - Easton
Throughout Easton, Pennsylvania
2012-07-15
Anthracite Triathlon 2012
Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
2012-09-30
2012 Ironman 70.3 Pocono Mountains
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania
2012-10-13
Black Bear Century
Minisink Hills, Pennsylvania
2012-10-13
2012-10-14

Chest Pain

Introduction

Chest pain is one of the most common complaints that will bring a patient to the Emergency Department. Seeking immediate care may be lifesaving, and considerable public education has been undertaken to get patients to access medical care when chest pain strikes. While the patient may be worried about a heart attack, there are many other causes of pain in the chest that the healthcare provider will need to consider. Some diagnoses are life threatening, while others are less dangerous.

Deciding the cause of chest pain is sometimes very difficult and may require blood tests, x-rays, CT scans and other tests to sort out the diagnosis. Often though, a careful history taken by the healthcare provider may be all that is needed to find the answer.

What are the sources of chest pain?

The source of pain may arise from a variety of potential sources:

  • the chest wall including the ribs, the muscles, and the skin;
  • the back including the spine, the nerves, and the back muscles;
  • the lung, the pleura (the lining of the lung) or the trachea;
  • the heart including the pericardium (the sac that surrounds the heart);
  • the aorta;
  • the esophagus;
  • the diaphragm, the flat muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities;
  • referred pain from abdominal organs like the stomach, gallbladder, and pancreas.

While each source of chest pain may have a classic presentation of signs and symptoms, there is significant overlap among the symptoms of each condition, and the symptoms may also be affected by age, gender and race.

What are the causes of chest pain?

Pain can be caused by almost every structure in the chest. Different organs can produce different types of pain but unfortunately the pain is not specific to each cause. Each of the following ca...

Recommended Reading Related to Chest Pain

Smoking (How to Quit Smoking) »

Smoking and quitting smoking facts

  • Although smoking is an addiction, people can quit smoking.
  • Secondhand smoke is harmful to the health of children, unborn children, family members, and coworkers.
  • Quitting smoking cuts the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases.
  • The steps in quitting, each of which requires special attention and efforts by the smoker, are getting ready to quit, quitting, and staying quit.
  • A number of techniques are available to assist people who want to quit, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), behavioral modification, self-help literature, and prescription medications.
  • In nicotine replacement therapy, which is the cornerstone of most smoking cessation programs, another source of nicotine is substituted while the cigarettes are stopped. (The idea of nicotine replacement therapy is to eliminate both...

Emergency Contact for Scranton

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Scranton Hospitals *

Mercy Hospital of Scranton
746 Jefferson Ave
Scranton, PA 18510
(570)348-7100

Moses Taylor Hospital
700 Quincy Ave
Scranton, PA 18510
(570)340-2100

Community Medical Center
1800 Mulberry St
Scranton, PA 18510
(570)969-8000

Allied Services Rehabilitation Hospital
475 Morgan Hwy
Scranton, PA 18508
(570)348-1300

Mid-Valley Hospital
1400 Main St
Peckville, PA 18452
(570)383-5500

Clarks Summit State Hospital
1451 Hillside Dr
Clarks Summit, PA 18411
(570)586-2011

Marian Community Hospital
100 Lincoln Ave
Carbondale, PA 18407
(570)281-1000

Wilkes Barre VA Medical Center
1111 E End Blvd
Wilkes Barre, PA 18711
(570)824-3521

Kindred Hospital Wyoming Valley
575 N River St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18764
(570)552-7620

Wilkes Barre General Hospital
575 N River St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
(570)829-8111

John Heinz Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine
150 Mundy St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18702
(570)826-3800

First Hospital Wyoming Valley
562 Wyoming Ave
Kingston, PA 18704
(570)552-3900

Clear Brook Manor
1100 E Northampton St
Laurel Run, PA 18706
(570)823-1171

Geisinger South Hospital Wilkes-Barre
25 Church St
Wilkes Barre, PA 18765
(570)826-3100

Tyler Memorial Hospital
880 SR 6 W
Tunkhannock, PA 18657
(570)836-2161

Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center
1000 E Mountain Blvd
Wilkes Barre, PA 18711
(570)826-7300

Mercy Special Care Hospital
128 W Washington St
Nanticoke, PA 18634
(570)735-5000

Wayne Memorial Hospital
601 Park St
Honesdale, PA 18431
(570)253-8100

Endless Mountains Health Systems
3 Grow Ave
Montrose, PA 18801
(570)278-3801

Clear Brook Lodge
890 Bethel Hill Rd
Shickshinny, PA 18655
(570)864-3116

Barnes-Kasson Hospital
2872 Turnpike St
Susquehanna, PA 18847
(570)853-3135

*Provider Directory Terms of Use:

The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval.

You are prohibited from using, downloading, republishing, selling, duplicating, or "scraping" for commercial or any other purpose whatsoever, the Provider Directory or any of the data listings or other information contained therein, in whole or in part, in any medium whatsoever.

The Provider Directory is provided on an "AS-IS" basis. WebMD disclaims all warranties, either express or implied, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for particular purpose. Without limiting the foregoing, WebMD does not warrant or represent that the Provider Directory or any part thereof is accurate or complete. You assume full responsibility for the communications with any Provider you contact through the Provider Directory. WebMD shall in no event be liable to you or to anyone for any decision made or action taken by you in the reliance on information provided in the Provider Directory.

The use of WebMD Provider Directory by any entity or individual to verify the credentials of Providers is prohibited. The database of Provider information which drives WebMD Provider Directory does not contain sufficient information with which to verify Provider credentials under the standards of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) of the Utilization Review Accreditation Committee (URAC).

By using the WebMD Provider Directory, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.