← Differential Diagnosis class notes
FROM MY PT SCHOOL NOTES · DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS · UNIT 2 · CHAPTER 07
Chest, breast and rib symptoms
Can chest wall tenderness exclude serious disease? No—evaluate onset, exertional symptoms, breathing changes and the broader risk profile.
Key screening concepts
- Consider cardiorespiratory, vascular, GI, breast and musculoskeletal etiologies rather than assuming a rib or thoracic joint source.
- Differentiate reproducible mechanical patterns from systemic or exertional symptoms; reproducibility does not automatically rule out dangerous pathology.
- Consider history of trauma, infection, breast changes, exertional symptoms, and thrombosis risks.
PT clinical connection
New pressure-like chest pain, syncope or severe dyspnea should trigger emergency services, not continued exercises.
High-yield distinction
Chest pain is not ruled out by tenderness: Reproducible tenderness can coexist with serious disease; interpret with overall risk and symptom cluster.
Original class sources: 4 Screening Chest, Breast, and Rib Pain.pdf. Personal PT-school notes with separately indicated new references; not a diagnosis, medical clearance, emergency triage protocol or substitute for appropriate evaluation and referral pathways.
