Key Points: Not all ST elevation is ischemia. The most common mimics at the point of care are atrial activity riding on the ST segment, motion or lead artifact, early…
Key Points: The ECG is the fastest bedside tool for detecting acute coronary occlusion and dynamic myocardial ischemia: ECG changes may precede troponin elevation and sometimes occur before classic symptoms….
Key Points: RV involvement accompanies up to ~40% of inferior STEMIs; isolated RV infarction is uncommon but high-impact when missed. Think RV MI when inferior STEMI is present and you…
Key Points: What it is: In V2 or V3, there is no S wave (the R does not descend below the PQ baseline) and no J wave (no notch/slur at…
Key Points Definition: Pseudonormalization is the apparent normalization of previously inverted T waves, often signaling reocclusion of a coronary artery that had recently reperfused. Mechanism: During reperfusion, ischemic T wave…
Key Points Definition: The precordial swirl sign refers to a rotational pattern of ST-segment abnormalities across the precordial leads, suggesting a dynamic and evolving occlusion myocardial infarction (OMI). It is…
Key Points: ACS Dynamics: Occluded arteries in ACS can spontaneously reperfuse and reocclude, making ECG findings variable. Limitations of Computer Interpretation: Subtle STE is often missed by computerized ECG interpretation;…