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STEMI with Life-Threatening Hypokalemia and Incessant Torsades de Pointes

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

There is also bradycardia. Bradycardia puts patients at risk for "pause-dependent" Torsades de Pointes. Torsades in acquired long QT is much more likely in bradycardia because the QT interval following a long pause is longer still. If cardiac arrest from hypokalemia is imminent (i.e., Is 40 mEq too much?

STEMI 52
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Should we activate the cath lab? A Quiz on 5 Cases.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Triage is backed up, and 10 minutes into your shift one of the ED nurses brings your several ECG s that has not been overread by a physician. Smith: This bizarre ECG looks like a post cardiac arrest ECG with probable acidosis or hyperkalemia in addition to OMI. Imagine you just started your ED shift. What was the pH and K?

Ischemia 123