ECG STAT Diagnoses

Wide Complex Tachycardias: regular wide complex tachycardia (RWCT) vs. regular REALLY wide complex tachycardia (RRWCT)

A 70-year-old male presents to the ED with generalized weakness and dizziness. He is suspected to be in atrial fibrillation with a heart rate of ~ 150 bpm. He is…

Differential Diagnoses: must know causes of wide QRS complexes

A 15-year-old girl presents to the ED listless and tremulous. She is unable to provide a reliable history. Her heart rate is around 150 bpm and she is mildly tachypneic…

EMS Cases: The definition of normal sinus rhythms and so much more!

A 89-year-old woman calls EMS for palpitations. The following ECG is obtained:

Narrow vs. wide complex QRS in patients with complete heart block

A 86-year-old woman presents to the ED with generalized weakness. The following ECG is obtained:

Post-cardiac arrest ECGs: differential diagnoses to consider when dealing with non-conducted P waves

Bradyarrhthmias: considerations in unstable patients with discussion on an important causes of refractory bradycardia

 A 42-year-old woman presents to the ED with decreased level of consciousness after a seizure. She has no obvious signs of trauma, and vitals signs are normal except for marked…

Wide Complex Tachycardias: considerations in unstable patients with discussion on an important VT mimic

A 78-year-old woman called EMS for palpitations and mild chest pressure. She was shocked 4 times prior to arrival for a wide complex tachycardia and waxing and waning mental status…

STAT ECG Diagnoses: can’t miss type of wide complex irregular tachycardia

A 37-year-old man is brought to the ED with episodes of palpitations. In the ED he has intermittent episodes of wide complex tachycardia. He is hemodynamically stable. The following ECG…

ECG Basics & Fundamentals: electrical cardioversion of an unstable regular wide complex tachycardia

A 50-year-old man is brought to the ED with a regular wide complex tachycardia (RWCT) shown below. He is pain free with a normal blood pressure and mental status. His…

Spooky cold ECG findings in a patient with altered mental status on halloween night

STAT ECG Diagnoses: the most commonly missed STEMI does not have ST segment elevation

A 70-year-old man presents to the ED with radiating chest tightness, nausea, and diaphoresis. The following ECG is obtained:

STAT ECG Diagnoses: ST segment depression in precordial leads

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:

STAT ECG Diagnoses: differential for ST segment depression in the anteroseptal leads

A 36-year-old woman with a past medical history of rheumatoid arthritis presents to the ED with 3 days of waxing and waning chest tightness. The pain is pleuritic and 4/10…

STAT ECG Diagnoses: considerations in hypotensive STEMI patients

A 72-year-old woman presents to the ED by EMS with chest pain. She was noted to have normal vital signs and an unremarkable physical exam and given aspirin and nitroglycerin…

Differential Diagnoses: the main three things that cause narrow complex regular tachycardias

A 51-year-old man presents to the ED with generalized weakness and palpitations. The following prehospital ECG is obtained:

The perfect wide complex tachycardia algorithm…does not exist!

A 55-year-old man presents to the ED with chest tightness and palpitations. He is noted to have dyspnea and diaphoresis with a normal blood pressure. The following ECG is obtained:

Age as a cardiac risk factor

A 32-year-old woman presents to the ED with 2 hours of chest pain. She has a history of psychosis and smokes cigarettes. The following ECG is obtained:

STAT ECG Diagnoses: Post-cardiac arrest ECG with this pattern, what is the most likely cause of arrest and would you activate the cath lab?

An elderly male with no known past medical history is brought into the ED via EMS s/p cardiac arrest. He was found to be unresponsive with a weak pulse at…

Differential Diagnoses: prolonged QT and himalayan T waves

A 24-year-old man presents to the ED with diarrhea and dehydration. He is diagnosed with salmonella gastroenteritis and is found to have severe electrolyte abnormalities. The following ECG was obtained…

STAT ECG Diagnoses: must know ECG differentials in the evaluation of patients with altered mental status

A young woman presents to the ED unconscious with a GCS of 4. The following ECG was obtained during the initial evaluation: