Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 19, 2023

The commonest causes of MINOCA include: atherosclerotic causes such as plaque rupture or erosion with spontaneous thrombolysis, and non-atherosclerotic causes such as coronary vasospasm (sometimes called variant angina or Prinzmetal's angina), coronary embolism or thrombosis, possibly microvascular dysfunction.

Plaque 126

Plaque Angina Blog Stents 126

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 13, 2019

Patients with pulmonary embolism or aortic dissection who have normal variant ST elevation are at high risk of being diagnosed with pericarditis when what they have is far more serious!! normal variant, not pericarditis) A Young Man with Sharp Chest pain (normal variant, not pericarditis) 24 yo woman with chest pain: Is this STEMI?

Pericarditis 52

Pericarditis Chest Pain Aortic Blog 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

MAY 13, 2024

This ECG is highly concerning for LAD occlusion despite it not showing a STEMI criteria. You can find the variables used to calculate the value on MD calc here: [link] Utilizing Dr. Smith’s Subtle Anterior STEMI Calculator (4-Variable), the value is greater than 18.2 which is concerning for LAD occlusion.

Chest Pain 119

Chest Pain STEMI Ultrasound Heart Attack 119

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 15, 2015

A bedside cardiac ultrasound was recorded: Here is a still image of the echo: The red arrows outline the right ventricle and the yellow arrows outline the left ventricle chamber. It makes pulmonary embolism (PE) very likely. Second: what does the ultrasound tell us about the condition? He was unresponsive to painful stimuli.

STEMI 40

STEMI Embolism Pulmonary Ultrasound 40

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JUNE 17, 2024

for those of you who do not do Emergency Medicine, ECGs are handed to us without any clinical context) The ECG was read simply as "No STEMI." He was started on a heparin drip and CTA of the chest was ordered to rule out pulmonary embolism. Now another, with ultrasound. In fact, Kosuge et al. Accessed May 28, 2024.

Chest Pain 138

Chest Pain Embolism Pulmonary Tachycardia 138

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

OCTOBER 10, 2022

The morphology of V2-V4 is very specific in my experience for acute right heart strain (which has many potential etiologies, but none more common and important in EM than acute pulmonary embolism). CT angiogram showed extensive saddle pulmonary embolism. Now another, with ultrasound. On epinephrine and norepinephrine drips."

Cardiac Arrest 52

Cardiac Arrest Chest Pain Embolism Pulmonary 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

NOVEMBER 12, 2020

A bedside cardiac ultrasound was normal, with no effusion. In a series of 18 patients with COVID and ST elevation, 8 were diagnosed with STEMI, 6 of whom had an angiogram and it showed obstructive coronary disease. 12 All STEMI patients had very high cTn typical of STEMI (cTnT > 1.0

Cardiac Arrest 52

Cardiac Arrest COVID-19 Myocardial Infarction Cardiogenic Shock 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

JANUARY 9, 2023

50% of LAD STEMIs do not have reciprocal findings in inferior leads, and many LAD OMIs instead have STE and/or HATWs in inferior leads instead. The ECG easily meets STEMI criteria in all leads V2-V6, as well. CT angiogram chest: no aortic dissection or pulmonary embolism. 24 yo woman with chest pain: Is this STEMI?

Chest Pain 52

Chest Pain Aneurysm STEMI Thrombosis 52

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 13, 2025

They recorded this ECG: Obvious inferior STEMI/OMI What else? The patient was found to have an embolic source. Provocative testing is very helpful for this Coronary Thrombus with lysis (one must do optical coherence tomography or at least intravascular ultrasound to find thes non-obstructive plaques that ruptured. He called 911.

Chest Pain 78

Chest Pain Embolism STEMI Plaque 78

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

DECEMBER 3, 2024

Case continued A bedside cardiac ultrasound revealed grossly preserved left ventricular function, no appreciable wall motion abnormality, pericardial effusion, or obvious valvular abnormality. Later in the night, the patient became bradycardic and developed a Mobitz II pattern , but he remained asymptomatic and hemodynamically stable.

Catheterization Laboratory 110

Catheterization Laboratory STEMI Blog Ischemia 110

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

APRIL 9, 2025

The paramedics diagnosis was "Possible Anterolateral STEMI." On arrival in the ED, a bedside ultrasound showed poor LV function (as predicted by the Queen of Hearts) with diffuse B-lines. LAD: type III-IV vessel with a proximal thrombotic or embolic occlusion (TIMI 0 flow). She had no further episodes of VF. Angiogram: 2.

Defibrillator 62

Defibrillator Cardiac Arrest Myocardial Infarction STEMI 62