Chest Pain Rule-Out: Patient with Stuffed Elephant Sitting on Chest

DANBURY, CT – A patient at Danbury Medical Center was admitted for chest pain rule out after he was complaining of a toy stuffed elephant sitting on his chest.

“It’s my daughter’s elephant and, sure, it looks cozy and cute, but man, it’s a beast when it’s sitting on your chest,” explained concerned patient, 48-year-old Jason Shires. “I can’t imagine what a real elephant sitting on your chest must feel like.”

Shires received the following interventions, which did finally alleviate the symptoms: aspirin, nitroglycerin, morphine, and removal of the stuffed animal, in that order.

“As much as I don’t want to admit this guy, he does have a family history of coronary artery disease, as well as a personal history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia,” explained hospitalist Dr. Amanda Sweet. “To be fair, we’ve never been taught what type of elephant has to be sitting on your chest, you know?”

In case you were asking, yes, troponins was positive. In both the patient and the stuffed elephant. Both will undergo stress testing.