Retrospective Analysis of Hospitalizations for Chest Pain in the CICU: Joseph Imbert Hospital Center, Arles Study Period: December 2022 – December 2023

Background: Chest pain is a common and potentially life-threatening reason for emergency department visits, necessitating prompt assessment and management. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients hospitalized for chest pain in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) of Joseph Imbert Hospital Center, Arles, France. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of all patients admitted to the CICU for chest pain between December 2022 and December 2023. Data were collected using the AXIGATE software, with no exclusion criteria applied. Results: Out of 670 CICU admissions during the study period, 248 (37%) were for chest pain. The majority of these patients were male (59.7%) and aged between 59 and 78 years. The leading cause of chest pain was non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI), accounting for 68.6% of cases, followed by pulmonary embolism (22.6%), ST-elevation myocardial infarction (5.7%), and myopericarditis (3.2%). Most patients (85.9%) had hospital stays of 1–10 days, with a mean stay of 5.4 days for NSTEMI and STEMI, and 7.8 days for pulmonary embolism. In-hospital mortality was 1.2%, and total 12-month mortality reached 4.8%, predominantly due to NSTEMI. Conclusion: Chest pain remains a leading cause of CICU admissions, with acute coronary syndromes, particularly NSTEMI, representing the primary etiology. The low in-hospital mortality and relatively short length of stay reflect the efficacy of current treatment protocols. These findings underscore the importance of rapid diagnosis and intervention, as well as the need for continued focus on prevention and post-discharge care to improve long-term outcomes.