Symptom Combination

Chest Pain and Loss Of Consciousness: Causes, Conditions & When to See a Doctor

Chest pain followed by or combined with loss of consciousness indicates ventricular arrhythmia, massive pulmonary embolism, cardiac tamponade, or severe aortic stenosis — all life-threatening. This combination has one of the highest in-hospital mortality rates in emergency medicine.

→ Chest Pain Overview → Loss Of Consciousness Overview

Possible Causes of Chest Pain and Loss Of Consciousness

Conditions that commonly cause both symptoms together

1Ventricular tachycardia / ventricular fibrillation (MI-induced)
2Massive pulmonary embolism with right heart failure
3Aortic stenosis with exertional syncope
4Cardiac tamponade with pulsus paradoxus and syncope
5Complete heart block (Stokes-Adams attack)

Emergency Red Flags

Seek immediate medical attention if you experience any of these

Any loss of consciousness with chest pain = immediate defibrillation readiness

Pulselessness during episode (cardiac arrest)

Chest pain that preceded the syncopal event

Recurrent syncope with exertional chest discomfort

ECG showing prolonged QT, bundle branch block, or WPW pattern

When to See a Doctor

Schedule a medical consultation if you notice these signs

Call 112/911 — activate CPR/AED protocol if patient is unresponsive

Any chest pain + syncope requires hospitalization and continuous cardiac monitoring

Echocardiography to exclude tamponade and structural disease

Electrophysiology study may be needed to assess arrhythmia risk

Conditions That Cause Both Chest Pain and Loss Of Consciousness

2 conditions are associated with this symptom combination

Ventricular Fibrillation

Chest pain from ischemia triggering VF and loss of consciousness

Pulmonary Embolism

Massive PE causes syncope and pleuritic chest pain simultaneously

Explore Individual Symptoms

In-depth pages for each symptom in this combination

Chest Pain — Full Overview Causes Treatment When to See a Doctor Related Questions

Loss Of Consciousness — Full Overview Causes Treatment When to See a Doctor Related Questions

Clinical Matches — Authority Pages

Condition-level differential and comparison resources for this combination

⚠ Dangerous — Rule Out First:

Pulmonary Embolism

Differential analyses:

🔬Pulmonary Embolism: differential →

Experiencing Chest Pain and Loss Of Consciousness?

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