Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to examine the prevalence, causes, reasons for admission, and mortality of non-traumatic acute chest pain in young adults in King Abdulaziz Medical City (KAMC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Methods: This retrospective study analyzed electronic health records of young adults aged 15-25 years presenting with acute non-traumatic chest pain at KAMC, Riyadh. Non-random, non-consecutive, and non-probability sampling techniques were applied.
Results: Among 1,133 young adults with acute chest pain, 615 (54.4%) were males (mean age, 21.4 years), most (839; 74.1%) had no smoking history, and 514 (45.4%) had comorbidities. Overall, 963 (85.0%) patients underwent electrocardiography (ECG), with 157 (13.9%) exhibiting abnormalities. Troponin and creatine kinase MB (CK-MB) levels were elevated in 7 (0.6%) and 5 (0.4%) patients, respectively. Chest radiography
revealed abnormalities in 14 patients (1.2%). While 712 (62.8%) patients underwent noninvasive procedures, only 17 (1.5%) underwent invasive interventions. Key predictors of hospital admission included abnormal ECG (10/157 [6.4%] vs. 6/806 [0.7%]; p-value < 0.001), elevated CK-MB (3/5, 60.0%; p-value < 0.001), and pneumothorax (2/6, 33.3%; p-value = 0.003).
Conclusion: This study highlighted that noninvasive diagnostics effectively manage acute chest pain in young adults, with low admission rates and no mortality. Key admission predictors included abnormal ECG findings, elevated biomarkers, and specific clinical conditions, highlighting the value of targeted diagnostic approaches.

Key words: Chest pain, young, Saudi Arabia, cause, mortality.