The Task Force on the management of chest pain was created by the committee for Scientific and Clinical Initiatives on 28 June 1997 after formal approval by the Board of the European Society of Cardiology. The document was circulated to the members of the Committee for Scientific and Clinical Initiatives, to the members of the Board and to the following reviewers: J. Adgey, C. Blomstro¨m-Lundqvist, R. Erbel, W. Klein, J. L. Lopez-Sendon, L. Ryde´n, M. L. Simoons, C. Stefanadis, M. Tendera, K. Thygesen. After further revision it was submitted for approval to the Committee for Practise Guidelines and Policy Conferences. The Task Force Report was supported financially in its entirety by The European Society of Cardiology and was developed without any involvement of the pharmaceutical industry.