Final answer:
Chest pain, shortness of breath, and right axis deviation on EKG in a post-surgical patient are concerning for a potential heart attack (AMI). These symptoms demand thorough and differential diagnosis, especially because women can present with less typical symptoms than men.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath (tachypnea), and right axis deviation on EKG may be indicative of a cardiac issue such as an acute myocardial infarction (AMI), also known as a heart attack. Symptoms can include retrosternal pain referred to as angina pectoris, which often radiates down the left arm in males.
These symptoms may also be present in females but are less likely to include arm pain. The passage also alludes to the difficulties in diagnosing women with MI due to less typical presentations.
Other symptoms can include difficulty breathing (dyspnea), irregular heartbeat (palpitations), nausea and vomiting, sweating (diaphoresis), anxiety, and fainting (syncope); however, not everyone experiences these symptoms, with a percentage of MIs occurring silently without symptoms. .
Differential diagnosis is necessary as these symptoms overlap with non-cardiac conditions such as anxiety attacks or indigestion.