Which term describes chest pain that is unpredictable and not relieved by rest?

Which term describes chest pain that is unpredictable and not relieved by rest?

• A. Chest Pain
• B. Angina Pectoris
• C. Stable Angina
• D. Unstable Angina

Answer: (D)

Unstable angina describes chest pain that is unpredictable, can occur at rest, and is not relieved by rest or nitroglycerin. This pattern signals an acute change in coronary flow and a high risk of progression to a heart attack, making it the best fit for chest pain that occurs without a predictable trigger and doesn’t improve with rest. In contrast, classic angina is predictable, usually triggered by exertion, and relieved by rest or nitroglycerin, while stable angina follows a regular pattern and remains manageable with rest. General chest pain is too nonspecific to capture this acute, unrelieved, resting-type presentation.

Unstable angina describes chest pain that is unpredictable, can occur at rest, and is not relieved by rest or nitroglycerin. This pattern signals an acute change in coronary flow and a high risk of progression to a heart attack, making it the best fit for chest pain that occurs without a predictable trigger and doesn’t improve with rest. In contrast, classic angina is predictable, usually triggered by exertion, and relieved by rest or nitroglycerin, while stable angina follows a regular pattern and remains manageable with rest. General chest pain is too nonspecific to capture this acute, unrelieved, resting-type presentation.