Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JANUARY 2, 2025

See this post: How a pause can cause cardiac arrest 2. Place temporary pacemaker 3. The plan: 1. Discontinue all negative chronotropic agents, since the risk of torsade is much higher with bradycardia or pauses. Discontinue amiodarone, since it prolongs the QT 4.

Tachycardia 116

Tachycardia Cardiomyopathy Blog Bradycardia 116

HeartRhythm

JULY 3, 2024

An epicardial pacemaker was implanted. In 2012, she had a ventricular fibrillation cardiac arrest. In 1973 she underwent a Mustard operation, switching atrial blood flow using a baffle, which was complicated by complete heart block. The superior limb of the baffle was stenosed and required stenting.

Defibrillator 40

Defibrillator Cardiac Arrest Pacemaker Stents 40

Ken Grauer, MD

JULY 9, 2023

Blood was drawn , and the patient was promptly placed in a room to be seen — but on entering, the ED physician found her unresponsive in cardiac arrest. Do you see any indication on this ECG of WHY this patient was about to arrest? Is there any indication on this ECG of WHY this patient shortly after had a cardiac arrest?

Blog 78

Blog Cardiac Arrest Pulmonary AFIB 78

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 23, 2023

Edited by Bracey, Meyers, Grauer, and Smith A 50-something-year-old female with a history of an unknown personality disorder and alcohol use disorder arrived via EMS following cardiac arrest with return of spontaneous circulation. The described rhythm was an irregular, wide complex rhythm. Teaching Points: 1.

Tachycardia 131

Tachycardia Cardiac Arrest ICU Blog 131

Wellnest

DECEMBER 21, 2022

Cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency in which the heart stops pumping blood to the body. Electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, and some other tests are done for patients with cardiac arrest. If the vital organs do not get their blood supply back quickly, it can lead to death.

Cardiac Arrest 52

Cardiac Arrest Heart Attack Heart attacks Atrial Fibrillation 52

Ken Grauer, MD

OCTOBER 27, 2023

My Immediate Impression — was that this elderly woman with a several week history of symptoms would most likely leave the hospital with a pacemaker. Given this patient's older age — if nothing "fixable" is found, she most likely has SSS ( S ick S inus S yndrome ) and will need a pacemaker ( See ECG Blog #342 for more on SSS ).

Blog 103

Blog Pacemaker Bradycardia Arrhythmia 103

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JULY 21, 2024

If there had been — a temporary atrial pacemaker could have been considered as a way of increasing the heart rate to suppress a bradycardia-dependent arrhythmia ("overdrive pacing"). Some residual ischemia in the infarct border might still be present. QUESTION: How will you handle this arrhythmia given the clinical scenario?

Arrhythmia 131

Arrhythmia Cardiogenic Shock Bradycardia Defibrillator 131

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MAY 5, 2023

My thoughts were the following: ECGs #1 and #2 showed a completely unreliable sinus pacemaker, with presumed high-grade 2nd-degree AV block — and frequent resultant pauses of over 2 seconds ( that would have been even longer had it not been for intermittent relief from the atrial escape focus ). What Does this All Mean?

Bradycardia 52

Bradycardia Cardiac Arrest Arrhythmia Pacemaker 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

In fact, sometimes the sinus node is working and acting as a pacemaker but no P waves are visible!! These T-waves are tall but have a narrow base and a corresponding flat ST segment (see lead V4). Also, there are no definite P-waves and this is another result of hyperkalemia. This is called sino-ventricular rhythm. The patient was treated.

Tachycardia 52

Tachycardia Document Blog Bradycardia 52

Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine

NOVEMBER 19, 2024

Hospitalizations with a primary diagnosis suggestive of CS (HF/cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrest, arrhythmias, or heart block) were categorized into cases with and without CS as a secondary diagnosis (CS+ and CS−, respectively).

Hospital 59

Hospital Cardiac Arrest Cardiomyopathy Arrhythmia 59