Denial of Cardiac Illness: Consequences and Management

Abstract

Have you ever wondered why a patient fails to seek medical attention for chest pain that may herald a myocardial infarction (MI)? Have you ever been puzzled by which interventions will effectively overcome a patient's denial? If you have, then this case presentation of a man who denied the significance of acute and intense chest pain, along with a discussion of the meaning of denial to a patient and a description of the methods by which denial can be assessed and managed should prove useful.