Post-cardiac Arrest ECGs

Cardiac Arrest During Summer Heatwave and an Unexpected ECG Pattern

A 40-year-old man is found unconscious inside a car during a hot summer day. He is extricated by EMS and found to be in asystolic cardiac arrest. ROSC is achieved…

Recent UMMC Cases

A 67 -year-old man presents to a busy emergency department with acute chest pain and shortness of breath. The following ECG is obtained, but he leaves without being seen because…

Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome with Supraventricular Tachycardia (SVT)

A 24-year-old man with past medical history of WPW syndrome s/p ablation presents to the emergency department with palpitations. On arrival, he is found to have a wide complex tachycardia…

Literature Review: Resolution of ST elevation on serial ECGs in post cardiac arrest patients

A 64-year-old male is brought to the ED after cardiac arrest. He achieved ROSC after CPR, defibrillation, and epinephrine administration. A post ROSC ECG was immediately obtained by EMS and…

Literature Review: Brugada Syndrome

A 55-year-old man with no significant PMHx (on no medications) presents to the emergency department with right lower quadrant pain. He is afebrile on arrival, with mild sinus tachycardia. He…

Literature Review: ST segment elevation after syncope and cardiac arrest

A 22-year-old man with no known significant PMHx presents after syncope. He is asymptomatic on arrival with normal vital signs. History and physical exam is non-diagnostic. While an ECG is…

Post-cardiac arrest ECGs: evaluation of ischemia, dysrhythmias, and their mimics

A 55-year-old man presents to the emergency department with nonspecific chest pain. 20 minutes into his evaluation he is found to be diaphoretic and unresponsive in cardiac arrest with ventricular…

Post-cardiac arrest ECGs: the value of the post return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) ECG and when it should be repeated

A 74-year-old man is brought into the emergency department by EMS for witnessed cardiac arrest. Initial rhythm was ventricular fibrillation s/p defibrillation with subsequent PEA. He received standard prehospital ACLS…

Post-cardiac arrest ECGs: can you guess the cause of arrest based off this ECG?

A 56-year-old man is brought in by ambulance after witnessed cardiac arrest. He reportedly had shortness of breath and malaise prior to collapse. The following post ROSC ECG is obtained:

Post-cardiac arrest ECGs: which arrest survivors should get emergent reperfusion therapy?

HPI:  A 65-year-old man presents to the ED with substernal chest pain that radiated to the back and is associated with nausea. An ECG is obtained on arrival and is…

Post-cardiac arrest ECG: intracranial hemorrhage with elevated ICP

A 36-year-old male is brought to the ED by EMS after PEA cardiac arrest. History is limited but he is known to have visited the hospital one week ago with…

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

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…

STAT ECG Diagnoses: post-cardiac arrest and syncope differentials you can’t miss

A 62-year-old male is being transported by EMS to the ED for acute onset chest pressure. He is noted to be hypotensive with a systolic blood pressure in the 50’s….

STAT ECG Diagnoses: post-cardiac arrest and syncope differentials you can’t miss

A 52-year-old African American male with no known past medical history is brought to the ED after resuscitated V. Fib arrest. A post arrest ECG after resuscitation is obtained: