Remove Cardiac Arrest Remove Ischemia Remove Stents
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Missed myocardial infarction with subsequent cardiac arrest

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He underwent coronary stenting (uncertain which artery). Such T-waves are almost always reciprocal to ischemia in the region of aVL (although aVL looks n ormal here) , and in a patient with chest pain are nearly diagnostic of ischemia. Ischemia on the ECG can be very subtle and is easily missed. Lesson : 1.

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Cardiac arrest: even after the angiogram, the diagnosis is not always clear

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

STE limited to aVR is due to diffuse subendocardial ischemia, but what of STE in both aVR and V1? The additional ST Elevation in V1 is not usually seen with diffuse subendocardial ischemia, and suggests that something else, like STEMI from LAD occlusion, could be present. Was this: 1) ACS with ischemia and spontaneous reperfusion?

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VF arrest at home, no memory of chest pain. Angiography non-diagnostic. Does this patient need an ICD? You need all the ECGs to know for sure.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was interpreted by the treating clinicians as not showing any evidence of ischemia. Given the presentation, the cardiologist stented the vessel and the patient returned to the ICU for ongoing critical care. He was intubated in the field and sedated upon arrival at the hospital. Two subsequent troponins were down trending.

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

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The patient was referred immediately for cath which revealed RCA occlusion that was stented. Remember, in diffuse subendocardial ischemia with widespread ST-depression there may b e ST-E in lead s aVR and V1. There are well formed R-waves with good voltage/amplitude which is uncommon for ischemia. There is ST depression in V1.

Ischemia 123
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LBBB: Using the (Smith) Modified Sgarbossa Criteria would have saved this man's life

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Similarly, STEMI guidelines call for urgent angiography for refractory ischemia or electrical/hemodynamic instability, regardless of ECG findings. So there is now high pre-test probability + refractory ischemia + Modified Sgarbossa + dynamic ECG changes. So the RCA was stented. Any indications for cath lab activation?

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STEMI with Life-Threatening Hypokalemia and Incessant Torsades de Pointes

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was stented. If there is polymorphic VT with a long QT on the baseline ECG, then generally we call that Torsades, but Non-Torsades Polymorphic VT can result from ischemia alone. If cardiac arrest from hypokalemia is imminent (i.e., After pacing, there was no recurrence of Torsades. The patient stabilized.

STEMI 52
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40-something with severe CP. True + vs. False + high lateral MI. ST depression does not localize.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He had a previous MI with cardiac arrest 2 years prior. Down-up T-waves in inferior leads are almost always reciprocal to ischemia in the territory underlying aVL. This is not normal and is a tip off that there is posterior ischemia accompanying the ischemia in aVL. It was opened and stented.