Key Points: Initial Assumption: Any wide (QRS >120 ms), regular tachycardia should be considered ventricular tachycardia (VT) until clearly proven otherwise. VT Characteristics: VT generally has a ventricular rate of…
Key Points: Defibrillation First, Minimal Pauses: pVT is rapidly fatal without immediate shocks and high‑quality CPR. Charge defibrillator during compressions and resume compressions immediately after each shock. pVT is a…
Key Points: High-risk STEMI morphology caused by fusion of the terminal QRS, J point, ST segment, and T wave into a single “triangular” deflection. Often massive apparent STE with loss…
Key Points: Normal T Wave in V1: The normal ECG typically shows a flat or inverted T wave in lead V1 in sinus rhythm. An upright T wave in V1 can…
Key Points PACs are early atrial depolarizations from an ectopic focus that create a premature P wave with a different morphology and axis than the sinus P wave, usually followed…
Key Points: Definition: Electrical storm is defined as three or more episodes of sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT), ventricular fibrillation (VF), or appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) shocks within 24 hours. Some…
Key Points: Definition: Organized electrical activity on ECG without a palpable pulse. PEA is a non-shockable arrest rhythm requiring CPR, epinephrine, and identification of reversible causes. Confirmation: Verify in two…
Key Points: Definition: Asystole is a non-shockable cardiac arrest rhythm characterized by absence of ventricular electrical activity. Treat with high-quality CPR, epinephrine every 3–5 minutes, and an urgent search for…
Key Points: Defibrillation First, Minimal Pauses: VF is rapidly fatal without immediate shocks and high‑quality CPR. Charge during compressions and resume compressions immediately after each shock. Chaotic Electrical Activity: VF…
Key Points: Definition: A malignant ventricular tachyarrhythmia with a regular, sine-wave–like waveform at ~250–350 bpm, no isoelectric baseline, and no discernible P/QRS/T distinction. Clinical importance: Rapidly degenerates into ventricular fibrillation…
Key Points: Intervene Immediately: Unstable tachyarrhythmias pose significant risk for rapid clinical deterioration that may lead to irreversible end-organ damage or cardiac arrest. Clinical Indicators of Instability: Altered Mental Status:…
Key Points PJCs are premature impulses from ectopic foci in or near the AV junction. ECG hallmark is a narrow premature beat with an absent or retrograde P wave. Retrograde…
Key Points The J point is the junction where QRS ends and the ST segment begins. It is a location, not a waveform. ST deviation is judged at the J…
Key Points Definitions: The J point is the QRS–ST junction (a location). A J wave is an added deflection at or just after that point (notch or slur). Why it…
Key Points SCAD Definition: A spontaneous, non-atherosclerotic tear in the coronary artery wall, often affecting young, otherwise low-risk women (including peripartum patients). SCAD presents similarly to ACS and is an…
Key Points A diagnostic 12‑lead ECG is only as good as your electrode placement. Misplacement can mimic MI, BBB, or poor R‑wave progression and trigger unnecessary workups. A standard 12‑lead…
Key Point Cannabis use is rising across recreational and medical contexts. Causation is not proven, but multiple contemporary studies associate cannabis with acute cardiovascular events, including MI, stroke, arrhythmias, and…
Key Points Definition and mechanics: Genetic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with asymmetric LV hypertrophy, typically septal, causing dynamic LVOT obstruction from systolic anterior motion (SAM) of the mitral valve. Gradient worsens when…
Key Points Definition and mechanics: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy variant with maximal hypertrophy at the LV apex (apical HCM, ApHCM). LVOT is often not obstructed at rest; some patients have mid-ventricular obstruction…
Key Points: ECG and monitor early: First-time seizure, near-syncope, unexplained LOC, or syncope all get a 12-lead now and continuous telemetry. Repeat ECG during symptoms or after another event. History…