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An undergraduate who is an EKG tech sees something. The computer calls it completely normal. How about the physicians?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

This was sent by an undergraduate (not yet in medical school, but applying now) who works as an ED technician (records all EKGs, helps with procedures, takes vital signs) and who reads this blog regularly. Of course, writing “hypertensive emergency, underlying CAD with demand ischemia, or NSTEMI all remain on the differential” makes no sense.

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Is OMI an ECG Diagnosis?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

I sent this to the Queen of Hearts So the ECG is both STEMI negative and has no subtle diagnostic signs of occlusion. Similarly, if a patient with known CAD presents with refractory ischemic chest pain, the ECG barely matters: the pre-test likelihood of acute coronary occlusion is so high that they need an emergent angiogram.

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Quiz post: two patients with chest pain. Do either, both, or neither have OMI?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Patient 2 A man in his 50s with history of CAD and prior PCI, diabetes, presented with acute constant chest pain for the past few hours. Triage ECG: It was interpreted as lateral STEMI, and he was sent to the cath lab, where the angiogram showed unchanged CAD from known prior, with no acute culprit. He was discharged home.

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A man in his 30s with chest pain. How was he managed? What if they had used the Queen of Hearts?

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Scattered other nonobstructive CAD. This patient does not show up in the STEMI registry, and the time to reperfusion will likely not be identified as the problem that it was. Angiogram around 9am: Culprit lesion mid LAD 100% stenosis TIMI 0 TIMI 3 after PCI Severe apical dyskinesis, severe anteroapical akinesis.

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Expert human ECG interpretation and/or the Queen of Hearts could have saved this patient's anterior wall

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

A man in his mid 60s with history of CAD and stents experienced sudden onset epigastric abdominal pain radiating up into his chest at home, waking him from sleep. She knows the baseline is normal, and she knows the STEMI(-) OMI one is diagnostic of OMI, with the highest possible confidence. We've come a long way in 2 years!

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An 80 year old woman with Left Bundle Branch Block (LBBB) and pleuritic chest pain

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

The patient presented to an outside hospital An 80yo female per triage “patient presents with chest pain, also hurts to breathe” PMH: CAD, s/p stent placement, CHF, atrial fibrillation, pacemaker (placed 1 month earlier), LBBB. Most large STEMI have peak troponin I in the 20.0 There are hyperacute T-waves in V5 and V6. Next trop in AM.

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ST depression V2-V4: Posterior leads, resolution of pain, and absence of posterior wall motion abnormality ruled out posterior STEMI

Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

He had no previous history of CAD, and presented with very typical waxing and waning chest pain, much worse with exertion but also present at rest and on presentation, though his pain was minimal at the time of the ECG. This is all suggestive of posterior STEMI, but not definitely diagnostic. I saw this 59 year old male 3 weeks ago.

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