EKg?

[aswanson]

My mom, 51, with no medical history but a smoker, recently was seen for a 1-2 day history of chest pain.  It was not exertional, but worse when she laid on her left side or took deep breaths.  No recent cold or infection.  It was right under left breast but she couldn't reproduce it by pressing on it.  She had a troponan checked which was normal, CBC normal, and EKG = "nonspecific T waves, can not rule out ischemia".  She was told to take ibuprofen as they thought it was more pleuritic?  and be seen back.  What do you think of this diagnosis and what does the EKG mean?  Should she have a stress test?

[caregiver222]

Kenkeith has provided the right information. The next test should be a stress test.  Positionally relieved pain is not usually cardiogenic in origin. "Worse when I take deep brreaths" is not consistent with a cardiac problem. It sounds pleuritic and Ibuprufin sounds like the medication of choice. Remember that the civilian version has only one fourth the medicine in the hospital version, so you can double the pharmacy dose without a problem.

[kenkeith]

The EKG indicates the possiblity of a coronary occlusion (partial) but not definitive.  Not a very reliable source as there are many intervening factors that can give a false positive reading.  Almost always requires further testing and clinical evidence for any diagnosis.

A stress test would be the next procedure if there is other evidence of ischemia (chest pain {angina}, shortnes of breath, muscle fatigue.  Symptoms can be with or without exertion, but usually with exertion.

Deep breath pain is closely associated with pleurisy and not angina, troponan normal as well as CBC helps rule out any heart problems.

[Barbarella]

She needs to ask her doctor what the next steps should be if next steps should be necessary.