Nursing professionals who work in emergency units are constantly facing patients with ischemic chest pain. This study aimed at understanding the meanings of patients with ischemic chest pain when they are in the emergency room. It is a study with qualitative approach that was carried with ten patients admitted in an emergency room in a private hospital in the south zone of São Paulo city. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed according to content analysis approach. Resulting thematic axes were: meaning of chest pain and feelings when facing the symptoms. As results it was possible to observe the fear of death, family concerns were more significant. It was concluded that patients with ischemic chest pain need special support from the nursing team in order to decrease or diminish those feelings.
Cardiovascular nursing; Myocardial Infarction; Acute pain; Nursing care
