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Chest pain: Are these really "Nonspecific ST-T wave abnormalities", as the cardiologist interpretation states?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The ECG did not meet STEMI criteria, and the final cardiology interpretation was “ST and T wave abnormality, consider anterior ischemia”. There’s only minimal ST elevation in III, which does not meet STEMI criteria of 1mm in two contiguous leads. But STEMI criteria is only 43% sensitive for OMI.[1]

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60 year old with chest pain, STEMI negative. What should the discharge diagnosis be?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

So while there’s no diagnostic STEMI criteria, there are multiple ischemic abnormalities in 11/12 leads involving QRS, ST and T waves, which are diagnostic of a proximal LAD occlusion. First trop was 7,000ng/L (normal 25% of ‘Non-STEMI’ patients with delayed angiography have the exact same pathology of acute coronary occlusion.

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Two 70 year olds with chest pain, and 3 pitfalls of the STEMI paradigm

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

There’s inferior ST depression which is reciprocal to subtle lateral convex ST elevation, and the precordial T waves are subtly hyperacute – all concerning for STEMI(-)OMI of proximal LAD. There’s ST elevation I/aVL/V2 that meet STEMI criteria. This is obvious STEMI(+)OMI of proximal LAD. Non-STEMI or STEMI(-)OMI?

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ECG Blog #415 — The Cath showed NO Occlusion!

Ken Grauer, MD

Despite the absence of significant coronary stenosis on her post-arrest cath — the ECG in Figure-1 is clearly diagnostic of an extensive anterolateral STEMI ( presumably from acute LAD [ L eft A nterior D escending ] coronary artery occlusion). The rhythm in ECG #1 is regular and supraventricular at a rate of ~75/minute.

Blog 164
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ECG Blog #434 — WHY Did this Patient Arrest?

Ken Grauer, MD

Prompt cath is therefore advised if the post-ROSC shows an acute STEMI. To Emphasize: The phenomenon of T-QRS-D is not needed in today's case to recognize the acute STEMI. The decision of whether to cath patients with a less definitive post-ROSC ECG is less clear.

Blog 155
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See OMI vs. STEMI philosophy in action

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Take home messages: 1- In STEMI/NSTEMI paradigm you search for STE on ECG. If this patient was managed according to the STEMI/NSTEMI paradigm (although he would be a candidate for early invasive treatment), he would probably be taken to the cath lab hours later. 2021 Sep;49(6):488-500. Turk Kardiyol Dern Ars. doi: 10.5543/tkda.2021.21026.

STEMI 52
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Chest pain and computer ‘normal’ ECG. Wait for troponin? And what is the reference standard for ECG diagnosis? Cardiologist or outcome?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

If we took this as the gold standard, we would conclude that the computer interpretation was safe and accurate at least accurate enough to not miss STEMI, and that physicians should not be interrupted to interpret it, because there would be no change in patient management. What is the gold standard for ECG interpretation: patient outcome!!!