The NICE Guideline on chest pain of recent onset: What does it mean for the Acute Physician?

The long-awaited guideline from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) for the management of chest pain of recent onset has now been published. This provides detailed recommendations for the management of patients with chest pain of possible or likely cardiac origin. This clarity should be welcomed by Acute Physicians who have seen a significant increase in emergency referrals to hospital, of which up to 25% in our practice are patients with chest pain. The guidance aims to help and support healthcare professionals to direct their patients into the appropriate referral stream.