Introduction
Patients attending the ED with chest pain present a classic diagnostic challenge. A minority will have an imminently or potentially life-threatening condition and need to be quickly and robustly identified and treated. A significant minority will have benign pathology or no significant cause identifiable for their pain and these also need to be identified, reassured and discharged. The rest will have a specific identifiable cause for their pain that will require a diagnosis and treatment plan during their ED attendance.