ECG of the Week – 6th March 2019 – Interpretation

The following ECG is from a 55 year old male who presented to the ED after experiencing on-going left sided chest ache.

Click to enlarge

Interpretation

  1. Describe the key features of this ECG.
  2. How would you manage this patient?
  3. He is taken to the Angio suite on site. In which vessel would you expect to find disease?

Interpretation:

  • Rate: 72 bpm
  • Rhythm: Regular and sinus
  • Axis: Normal
  • Intervals:

            PR 160

            QRS 100

  • Morphology:

            STE: 1mm III, aVF; Reciprocal changes: 1, aVL; STD 1mm also seen in V6

  • Summary: Inferior STEMI

Clinical correlation: 

  • Control pain – IV analgesia, no GTN for this patient (risk of RV involvement)
  • Anticoagulation – Aspirin 300mg, Ticagrelor 180mg, Heparin 5000U
  • PCI – found to have proximal occlusion of RCA

Some More Info re Criteria for JHC Code STEMI:

as per JEDO guidelines: Adult: Chest Pain: Code STEMI

http://jhced.org/wp-content/uploads/Joondalup-Health-Campus-STEMI-PCI-draft-protocol-Aug2017-1.pdf

Why Does The ECG Change in AMI?

AMI Affects both

  • Ventricular depolarisation = pathological Q waves (being >40ms, deeper than 1/3 height QRS)
  • Ventricular repolarisation = ST and T wave changes
  • Specific changes are proportional to the type of lesion:
  • Subendocardial = STD or NSTEMI
  • Transmural = STE or STEMI

For brilliant doodles of the heart, its anatomy and its relevance to ECG leads take a look at this post from Life in The Fast Lane to correlate anatomical disease with ECG changes

https://lifeinthefastlane.com/the-art-of-infarct-localisation/
Click to enlarge

For those of you that like a good table here is a summary of the above:

Location Vessels ST Change Reciprocal
Change
Associations
Antr MI LAD V1-4, V5-6 None Heart failure/ hypotension
Ventricular Septal Rupture
Lat MI LCx
MO
I, aVL, V5, V6 II, III, aVF  
Infr MI RCA (80%)
RCX (20%)
II, III, aVF I, AVL AV Block
RCA – papillary muscle
rupture (MR)
Postr MI RCx V7, V8, V9 V1, V2, V3
(inc tall R waves,
STD >2mm)
Rare in isolation
Often involve inf. or lat. wall
Septal MI LAD septal
branches
V1-4
Lack of Q in
V5, V6
None  
RV MI RCA V1, V4R I, aVL  

And finally for a ‘look at the ECG and see the vessel approach‘ this deranged physiology page has you covered.

https://derangedphysiology.com/main/required-reading/cardiology/Chapter%201.1.8/ecg-localisation-coronary-artery-territories

Further Reading:

http://www.medicine-on-line.com/html/ecg/e0001en_files/14.htm

https://ecgwaves.com/stemi-st-elevation-myocardial-infarction-criteria-ecg/

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5871553a3e00be90c79a68cd/t/58c2a18820099ecd41eb031f/1489150346393/C4.pdf

with thanks to the linked Pages….

and of course……A massive THANK YOU to John Larkin, without whom this ECG forum would not exist. We hope to do you justice whilst revisiting some of the basics for new registrars in the department. Good luck in your future teaching ventures!