Remove Ischemia Remove Plaque Remove SCAD
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"A patient just arrived as a transfer for NSTEMI."

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The final diagnosis was spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) starting in the mid LAD and continuing distally where it wraps around the apex. SCAD wasn't on my differential per se , but in retrospect it should have been. Most patients presenting with SCAD report a preceding emotional or physical stressor.

SCAD 114
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A young peripartum woman with Chest Pain

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This strongly suggests reperfusing RCA ischemia. Troponins, echocardiogram An echocardiogram showed inferobasilar hypokinesis, further supporting a diagnosis of regional ischemia , likely of the area supplied by the RCA. Here’s the angiogram of the RCA : No thrombus or plaque rupture in the RCA (or any coronary artery) was found.

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An athletic 30-something woman with acute substernal chest pressure

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Now you have ECG and troponin evidence of ischemia, AND ventricular dysrhythmia, which means this is NOT a stable ACS. It they are static, then they are not due to ischemia. This is better evidence for ischemia than any other data point. What is Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD)?

SCAD 52
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Which patient needs a CT scan?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

But it also shows a massive area of total ischemia in the LAD territory: CT shows the infarct The CT is with contrast, which increases density (which looks more white). This was ruptured plaque with thrombus. It was not SCAD (coronary dissection) Highest troponin I was 37,000 ng/L, but it was not measured to peak.