Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JULY 14, 2010

A 56 yo f with h/o HTN and hypercholesterolemia called EMS from home after onset of L chest pain radiating to the left arm. She was defibrillated successfully from ventricular fibrillation and developed a perfusing rhythm. Before EMS arrived, she had "seizure activity" and became unresponsive. She was intubated.

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Cardiac Arrest Cardiogenic Shock Chest Pain Defibrillator 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 29, 2020

A 60-something woman presented after a witnessed cardiac arrest. She was never defibrillated. This is commonly found after epinephrine for cardiac arrest, but could have been pre-existing and a possible contributing factor to cardiac arrest. A recent similar case: A 40-something with chest pain.

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Cardiac Arrest Defibrillator Ischemia Tachycardia 52

Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology

JANUARY 29, 2024

BACKGROUND:There is no specific treatment for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) manifesting as pulseless electric activity (PEA) and survival rates are low; unlike ventricular fibrillation (VF), which is treatable by defibrillation. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, Ahead of Print.

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Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain Coronary Artery Disease Defibrillator 40

Ken Grauer, MD

JUNE 14, 2024

The ECG in Figure-1 — was obtained from a middle-aged man who presented to the ED ( E mergency D epartment ) in cardiac arrest. C ASE C onclusion: As noted above — the middle-aged man in today's case presented to the ED in cardiac arrest. A series of VFib episodes followed — each time with successful defibrillation.

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

NOVEMBER 30, 2022

This patient, who is a mid 60s female with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia and GERD, called 911 because of chest pain. A mid 60s woman with history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and GERD called 911 for chest pain. She was defibrillated and resuscitated.

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Plaque Chest Pain Thrombosis Stenosis 52

MIBHS

MARCH 31, 2025

When discussing heart health, heart attacks and cardiac arrest are two terms that are often mistaken for one another. Understanding the difference between heart attack and cardiac arrest can help in recognizing symptoms, seeking prompt medical care, and even saving lives. What is Cardiac Arrest?

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

SEPTEMBER 21, 2020

I was texted these ECGs by a recent residency graduate after they had all been recorded, along with the following clinical information: A 50-something with no cardiac history, but with h/o Diabetes, was doing physical work when he collapsed. Here is the initial ED ECG: This is pretty obviously and inferior posterior OMI, right?

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STEMI Hospital Blog Defibrillator 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Case submitted by Magnus Nossen MD from Norway, written by Pendell Meyers A man in his 50s with no pertinent medical history suffered a witnessed cardiac arrest. 12 minutes later, the patient went back into VFib arrest and underwent another 15 minutes of resuscitation followed by successful defibrillation and sustained ROSC.

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Ischemia Arrhythmia Defibrillator Chest Pain 40

DAIC

MARCH 1, 2024

Photo by Cedars-Sinai milla1cf Fri, 03/01/2024 - 08:25 March 1, 2024 — Two new studies by Cedars-Sinai investigators support using artificial intelligence (AI) to predict sudden cardiac arrest-a health emergency that in 90% of cases leads to death within minutes. It cannot be treated with a defibrillator and often leads to death.

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Cardiac Arrest Electrocardiogram Defibrillator Electrophysiology 111

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JUNE 27, 2024

A patient had a cardiac arrest with ventricular fibrillation and was successfully defibrillated. Coronary Angiography after Cardiac Arrest without ST-Segment Elevation. Do not disregard the initial 12 lead ECG after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: It predicts angiographic culprit despite metabolic abnormalities.

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Defibrillator Cardiac Arrest STEMI Chest Pain 113

MIBHS

OCTOBER 31, 2024

Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator (ICD) to help manage dangerous heart rhythms. Cardiac Arrest or Sudden Death: Cardiomegaly increases the risk of life-threatening arrhythmias, which can cause sudden cardiac arrest. Heart Transplant may be considered in severe cases where other treatments have failed.

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 10, 2022

Written by Pendell Meyers and Peter Brooks MD A man in his 30s with no known past medical history was reported to suddenly experience chest pain and shortness of breath at home in front of his family. It was reportedly a PEA arrest; there was no recorded V Fib and no defibrillation. CPR was initiated immediately.

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Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain Embolism Pulmonary 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MAY 6, 2019

The patient presented with chest pain. I was taught that the tell-tale sign of ischemia vs an electrical abnormality was in the hx, i.e. chest pain for the ischemia and potential syncope for brugada. Only 5-18% of ED patients with chest pain have a myocardial infarction of any kind. Is it Brugada pattern?

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Chest Pain STEMI Ischemia Myocardial Infarction 52

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

DECEMBER 13, 2023

Introduction Sudden cardiac arrest is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and remains a major public health problem for which better non-invasive prediction tools are needed. Primary preventive therapies, such as implantable cardioverter defibrillators, are not personalized and not predictive.

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Chest Pain Cardiac Arrest Public Health Defibrillator 64

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 20, 2024

He woke up alert and with chest pain which he also had experienced intermittently over the previous few days. The history in today's case with sudden loss of consciousness followed by chest pain is very suggestive of ACS and type I ischemia as the cause of the ECG changes. What do you think?

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Cardiogenic Shock Ischemia Chest Pain Cardiac Arrest 128

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 25, 2009

He was at the gym when he had the onset of chest pain. Were it not for this prehospital ECG and the cardiac arrest, the diagnosis may have been significantly delayed. Had this happened, the artery may have re-occluded prior to angiography, with resultant recurrent cardiac arrest and/or shock and death.

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Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain Defibrillator STEMI 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 8, 2016

A late middle-aged man presented with one hour of chest pain. At cath, he immediately had incessant Torsades de Pointes requiring defibrillation 7 times and requiring placement of a transvenous pacer for overdrive pacing at a rate of 80. If cardiac arrest from hypokalemia is imminent (i.e., mEq/L, from 1.9

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STEMI Myocardial Infarction Cardiac Arrest Arrhythmia 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JULY 21, 2024

The patient in today’s case is a previously healthy 40-something male who contacted EMS due to acute onset crushing chest pain. The pain was 10/10 in intensity radiating bilaterally to the shoulders and also to the left arm and neck. He required multiple defibrillations within a period of a few hours. What do you think?

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

SEPTEMBER 20, 2018

Written by Pendell Meyers, edits by Steve Smith A man in his 60s with history of hypertension and MI 10 years ago, with PCI, presented to an outside hospital complaining of chest pain that started while mowing the lawn. In the ambulance during transport, the patient suddenly suffered VF arrest.

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Chest Pain STEMI Cardiac Arrest Aneurysm 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

The patient was put on Extracorporeal Life Support in the ED 3 hours after initial resuscitation, the core temp was 30° C and the patient was defibrillated with a single attempt. Although in the context of chest pain such ST depression would be all but diagnostic of posterior OMI, one should make no conclusions in such an unusual case.

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Cardiac Arrest Bradycardia Chest Pain Ischemia 40

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JANUARY 30, 2019

It was from a patient with chest pain: Note the obvious Brugada pattern. The elevated troponin was attributed to either type 2 MI or to non-MI acute myocardial injury. There is no further workup at this time. Smith: Here is a case that was just texted to me today from a former resident. This patient ruled out for MI.

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Heart Rhythm Sudden Cardiac Death Arrhythmia STEMI 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 17, 2023

This patient had many complaints including chest pain. Comment by K EN G RAUER, MD ( 2/11 /2023 ): = Today’s case is from a patient with “many complaints”, including chest pain — and, an ECG that raised concern about acute anterior OMI. Treatment is by ICD ( implantable cardioverter defibrillator ).

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 22, 2010

A 65 yo woman had felt ill for 36 hours, had seen her MD but without undergoing a cardiac evaluation. After epinephrine, atropine, and defibrillation x 2, there was a return of pulses. Exact rhythm during arrest is uncertain. She collapsed and 911 was called; she was found pulseless. These patients may survive.

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 2, 2025

Written by Pendell Meyers A man in his 60s presented with acute chest pain. He was sent back to the waiting room, where he suffered a VF arrest. Defibrillation was performed, and ROSC was achieved. Smith comment: The patient was lucky to have a cardiac arrest. Here is his triage ECG: What do you think?

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Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 5, 2019

Further history later: This patient personally has no further high risk features (syncope / presyncope), but her mother had sudden cardiac arrest in sleep. The patient denied any chest pain whatsoever, and a troponin at zero and 2 hours were both undetectable. We repeated the ECG: Brugada pattern is mostly resolved.

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Sudden Cardiac Death Heart Rhythm Article Tachycardia 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 9, 2025

A middle-age woman with no previous cardiac history called 911 for chest pain. We rapidly defibrillated her, and with return of normal sinus rhythm. Several minutes later the patient developed V-fib again > 200J defibrillation with return to NSR. Chest X-ray also showed pulmonary edema. Potassium was 4.5

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Defibrillator Cardiac Arrest Myocardial Infarction STEMI 64