Remove Dysrhythmia Remove Hospital Remove Ischemia
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Diffuse Subendocardial Ischemia on the ECG. Left main? 3-vessel disease? No!

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DISCUSSION: The 12-lead EKG EMS initially obtained for this patient showed severe ischemia, with profound "infero-lateral" ST depression and reciprocal ST elevation in lead aVR. Author continued : STE in aVR is often due to left main coronary artery obstruction (OR 4.72), and is associated with in-hospital cardiovascular mortality (OR 5.58).

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A teenager involved in a motor vehicle collision with abnormal ECG

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The ECG shows sinus tachycardia with RBBB and LAFB, without clear additional superimposed signs of ischemia. See these publications for more information Overall, management for cardiac contusion is mostly supportive unless surgical complications develop, involving appropriate treatment of dysrhythmias and hemodynamic instability.

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A 50 year old man with sudden altered mental status and inferior STE. Would you give lytics? Yes, but not because of the ECG!

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

His friend was able to get him into the truck and drive him to a nearby community hospital (non-PCI center). We have also shown several cases in which atrial flutter hides true, active ischemia. In this case, there is diffuse ischemic STD of subendocardial ischemia, of course with accompanying reciprocal STE in aVR.

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A man in his 30s with cardiac arrest and STE on the post-ROSC ECG

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

In terms of ischemia, there is both a signal of subendocardial ischemia (STD max in V5-V6 with reciprocal STE in aVR) AND a signal of transmural infarction of the inferior wall with Q wave and STE in lead III with reciprocal STD in I and aVL. He spent almost 2 months in the hospital, and reportedly made a full neurologic recovery.

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STEMI with Life-Threatening Hypokalemia and Incessant Torsades de Pointes

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

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. Could the dysrhythmias have been prevented? Severe hypokalemia in the setting of STEMI or dysrhythmias is life-threatening and needs very rapid treatment.

STEMI 52
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An athletic 30-something woman with acute substernal chest pressure

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Post by Smith, with short article by Angie Lobo ( [link] ), a third year intermal medicine resident at Abbott Northwestern Hospital Case A 30-something woman with no past history, who is very fit and athletic, presented with 1.5 It was late evening and the patient will be in the hospital overnight with a potentially very unstable LAD lesion.

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Back to basics: what is this rhythm? What are your options for treating this patient?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

We see a regular tachycardia with a narrow QRS complex and no evidence of OMI or subendocardial ischemia. But adenosine only lasts for seconds, and if the dysrhythmia recurs, then the adenosine is gone. Prevent the initiation of the dysrhythmia -- this can be done with a beta blocker by prenenting PACS 2. Adenosine worked.