the utility of gestures in chest pain

PURPOSE: Patient gestures are thought to be useful in determining the etiology of chest discomfort. We sought to determine the utility of certain patient gestures in the diagnosis of ischemic chest discomfort or myocardial infarction. METHODS: We performed a prospective observational study of 202 patients admitted with chest discomfort. Patients were observed for the Levine Sign (clenched fist to the chest), the Palm Sign (palm of the hand to the chest), the Arm Sign (touching the left arm), and, as an indicator of nonischemic chest discomfort, the Pointing Sign (pointing with 1 finger)...