Key Points: Unstable bradyarrhythmias cause poor perfusion which can rapidly progress to shock, irreversible organ injury, or cardiac arrest. Priority: Do not treat the heart rate alone. Treat clinical instability….
Key Points: Pediatric ECGs are not scaled-down adult ECGs. Right axis deviation, large R waves in V1, and T wave inversions in V1 to V3 are expected in healthy children….
Key Points: Severe hypothermia causes predictable ECG slowing and conduction delay. Sinus bradycardia, PR/QRS/QT prolongation, and atrial fibrillation with a slow ventricular response are common as core temperature falls. Osborn…
Key Points: Don’t trust the ECG machines automated interpretation. Confirm the rhythm yourself. Start with the ventricles (R–R pattern), then the atria (P waves), then the AV relationship (PR behavior/P:QRS)….
Key Points: Clinical Context: A single normal 12-lead ECG in the emergent setting does not exclude all life-threatening conditions such as early occlusion MI/ACS, PE, tamponade, or aortic catastrophe. Do…
Key Points: Do not trust a computer read of “normal” without your own review. Computer interpretation is especially unreliable for subtle or early ischemia, including hyperacute T waves, minimal ST…
Key Points: Definition: Torsade de pointes is a specific subtype of polymorphic ventricular tachycardia that occurs in the setting of QT prolongation. ECG pattern: TdP shows beat-to-beat variation in QRS…
Key Points: Clinical Context: Abnormal ECGs must be interpreted within the patient’s presentation. Not all abnormalities are life-threatening, and high-risk conditions can still appear subtle or even “normal.” Serial Monitoring:…
Key Points: Pattern, not a STEMI equivalent. ST elevation in aVR (≥1 mm), often with ST elevation in V1 and diffuse ST depression (≥1 mm in ≥6 leads), represents high-risk…
Key Points: Severe Hyperkalemia Mimics Several Life-Threatening Conditions: Severe hyperkalemia is one of the most dangerous ECG mimics in emergency medicine. It can resemble unstable bradyarrhythmias, VT, STEMI, and pacemaker…
Key Points: Definition: Polymorphic ventricular tachycardia is VT with beat-to-beat variation in QRS morphology, axis, and amplitude. Clinical significance: PMVT is electrically unstable and can rapidly deteriorate into ventricular fibrillation…
Key Points: Definition: Nonsustained ventricular tachycardia is 3 or more consecutive ventricular beats lasting less than 30 seconds and terminating spontaneously. Rate: VT is usually faster than 120 bpm, but…
Key Points: Wide QRS rhythms distort repolarization. Bundle branch block and ventricular pacing create secondary ST-T changes even without occlusion MI. Appropriate discordance is expected. ST segments and T waves…
Key Points: Pattern: The South African Flag sign is the combination of ST elevation in I, aVL, and V2 with reciprocal ST depression in III. It is a subtle but…
Key Points: Pacemaker syndrome is a hemodynamic problem caused by loss of proper atrioventricular (AV) synchrony. Most commonly occurs with ventricular pacing that produces retrograde atrial activation, but can also…
Key Points: RAE reflects increased right atrial size or pressure load and is usually a marker of underlying pulmonary or right-sided cardiac disease. The classic ECG clue is a tall,…
Key Points: Ventricular paced rhythms can mask acute coronary occlusion. Pacing alters depolarization and produces expected secondary ST-T abnormalities, so standard STEMI criteria are unreliable. Appropriate discordance is expected in…
Key Points: Life Savers are the can’t-miss ECGs. These patterns may reflect immediately life-threatening ischemic, electrical, mechanical, obstructive, toxicologic, or metabolic emergencies. This hub is built for rapid action. Use…
Key Points: Use a consistent ECG routine. In acute care, a repeatable approach reduces misses and helps you recognize dangerous patterns faster. Prioritize life threats first. Instability, malignant rhythms, occlusion…
Key Points: This hub organizes ECG basics and fundamentals into three complementary “start here” pathways: ECG definitions and measurement, how ECGs work and are generated, and the acute care STAT…