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Why the sudden shock after a few days of malaise?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The VSR is what is causing the cardiogenic shock! Mechanical complications occur acutely and significantly alter hemodynamics leading to comp ensatory mechanism which usually involve vasoconstriction and tachycardia, both hallmarks of cardiogenic shock. PIRP is strongly associated with myocardial rupture.

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Noisy, low amplitude ECG in a patient with chest pain

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

They had difficulty describing their symptoms, but complained of severe weakness, nausea, vomiting, headache, and chest pain. They described the chest pain as severe, crushing, and non-radiating. Tachycardia is unusual for OMI, unless the patient is in cardiogenic shock (or getting close).

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A man with chest pain off and on for two days, and "No STEMI" at triage.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The patient’s chest pain spontaneously resolved before he was evaluated and has a repeat ECG obtained at 22:12 obtained shown below. In context, of course, it is clear that the patient is reperfusing, as pain has dissipated and the diagnostic findings of OMI have become more nonspecific. This ECG is more difficult.

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Chest Pain and Inferior ST Elevation.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

A middle-aged patient with lung cancer had presented to clinic complaining of generalized malaise, cough, and chest pain. Symptoms other than chest pain (malaise, cough in a cancer patient) 2. I have always said that tachycardia should argue against acute MI unless there is cardiogenic shock or 2 simultaneous pathologies.

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A man in his 70s with acute chest pain and paced rhythm.

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Edits by Meyers and Smith A man in his 70s with PMH of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes, CVA, dual-chamber Medtronic pacemaker, presented to the ED for evaluation of acute chest pain. Triage ECG: What do you think? This is diagnostic of proximal LAD occlusion. This is a huge anterolateral OMI. I cannot be anything else.

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Chest pain and shock: Is there a right ventricular OMI on this ECG? And should he undergo trancutaneous pacing?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

A 50-something man presented in shock with severe chest pain. The patient was in clinical shock with a lactate of 8. His prehospital ECG was diagnostic of inferior posterior OMI. BP was 108 systolic (if a cuff pressure can be trusted) but appeared to be maintaining BP only by very high systemic vascular resistance.

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See this "NSTEMI" go unrecognized for what it really is, how it progresses, and what happens

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

A man in his 70s with past medical history of hypertension, dyslipidemia, CAD s/p left circumflex stent 2 years prior presented to the ED with worsening intermittent exertional chest pain relieved by rest. This episode of chest pain began 3 hours ago and was persistent even at rest. Troponin was ordered.