A 72-year-old man presents with chest pain and shortness of breath. His ECG shows sinus rhythm with LVH, mild inferior ST elevation, and lateral ST-T abnormalities that some interpret as…
A 60-year-old woman presents with palpitations and an irregular wide-complex tachycardia. The computer calls atrial fibrillation with a left bundle branch block, but a subtle clue in the precordial leads…
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: LBBB does not exclude acute coronary occlusion. LBBB produces abnormal depolarization and expected secondary ST-T changes, which can mask or mimic ischemia. Acute OMI can still be recognized…
Key Points: LBBB and ventricular-paced rhythms can hide acute coronary occlusion because abnormal depolarization creates expected secondary ST-T changes. Occlusion MI can still be recognized when those ST changes are…
Key Points: The ECG’s primary role in ACS is detecting acute coronary occlusion. Acute coronary occlusion myocardial infarction (OMI) is a time-critical diagnosis that requires immediate reperfusion. Time is myocardium….
Key Points: Baseline ECG abnormalities do not protect patients from occlusion MI. They increase miss rates because they distort the ST segment and T waves. The core question is not…
Key Points: Lateral and high-lateral STEMI often present with subtle ST elevation and are commonly missed or labeled as nonspecific ST-T changes. Small-appearing ECG changes may represent true coronary occlusion…
Key Points: Inferior STEMI is the most common STEMI subtype and is frequently complicated by right ventricular and posterior involvement. Inferior occlusion may present with classic ST elevation, subtle ischemic…
Key Points: Anterior STEMI represents large myocardial territory at risk and carries the highest mortality among STEMI subtypes. Early recognition and reperfusion are critical. LAD occlusion may present with classic…
Key Points: STAT ECG is the first decision point in ACS. The primary purpose of the initial ECG is to identify patients who meet traditional STEMI criteria and require immediate…
Key Points: STEMI Equivalent: The de Winter ECG pattern is an uncommon STEMI equivalent indicative of an unstable proximal occlusion of the LAD (left anterior descending coronary artery). Treat the…
A 51-year-old man presents to the emergency department with acute chest pain that has progressively worsened over the past 3 hours. Pain radiates to the jaw and is associated with…
A 50-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with acute chest pain. The following ECG is obtained on arrival:
A 72-year-old woman with a past medical history of diabetes, coronary artery disease, and heart failure presents to the emergency department with acute onset chest and back pain. Pain is…
A 58-year-old woman is brought into the emergency department by paramedics with chest pain and diaphoresis. The following EMS ECG was obtained:
A 70-year-old man presents to the ED with ischemic chest pain. The following ECG is obtained:
A 70-year-old man presents to the ED with radiating chest tightness, nausea, and diaphoresis. The following ECG is obtained:
A 52-year-old man with history of hyperlipidemia and smoking presents to the ED with 2 hours of radiating chest pressure associated with diaphoresis and dyspnea. The following ECG is obtained: