Does the patient with chest pain have a coronary heart disease? Diagnostic value of single symptoms and signs--a meta-analysis.

Aim: To determine the diagnostic value of single symptoms and signs for coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with chest pain.

Methods: Searches of two electronic databases (EMBASE 1980 to March 2008, PubMed 1966 to May 2009) and hand searching in seven journals were conducted. Eligible studies recruited patients presenting with acute or chronic chest pain.