ECG Cases 33 Brugada Syndrome: 3-Step Approach to Diagnosis and Management
Jesse McLaren guides us through 7 cases and explains his 3-step approach to diagnosing and managing Brugada syndrome in this month's ECG Cases blog...
ECG Cases 30 Beware Computer Interpretation Errors
Computer interpretation of the ECG has been called a double-edged sword: when correct, it increases physician accuracy, but when incorrect it increases errors. This is especially problematic in the emergency department, where computer accuracy drops as clinical significance increases—with common errors for arrhythmias and ischemia. Jesse McLaren guides us through 10 cases where the computer interpretation misguides us and how to avoid these pitfalls...
Ep 166 Pericarditis and Cardiac Tamponade
Why should pericarditis be considered a diagnosis of exclusion? Which clinical features are most useful in the diagnosis of pericarditis? What are the most common pitfalls in the ECG interpretation? What are the best ways to differentiate the ECG of pericarditis from that of MI and early repolarization? How is uncomplicated viral pericarditis treated differently compared to pericarditis with other etiologies? Why is it so important to include colchicine as part of the treatment of pericarditis? Which patients with pericarditis require admission? and many more...
ECG Cases 28 Approach to Atrial Fibrillation
Jesse McLaren explains his AFIB mnemonic for approach to atrial fibrillation that involves 4 questions: 1. Is it atrial fibrillation? 2. If it is atrial fibrillation and there is rapid ventricular response, is it fast from a secondary cause? 3. If it is atrial fibrillation with a rapid ventricular response without a secondary cause, what is the intervention? 4. Does the patient need an anticoagulant started in the ED? and runs through 10 cases to elucidate the nuances of atrial fibrillation management on this ECG Cases blog...
ECG Cases 25: ‘Late STEMI’ – How acute is the coronary occlusion?
In this ECG Cases blog we look at 10 patients with potentially ischemic symptoms. Which had a coronary occlusion, and how acute were they? Jesse McLaren explains 'Late STEMI' and how reperfusion strategies should not be based on time of symptom onset...
ECG Cases 18 – ST DEPRESSED Mnemonic and Occlusion MI
In this ECG Cases blog we look at 10 patients who presented with potentially ischemic symptoms and ST depression. Which had occlusion MI?
ECG Cases 10 – Hyperkalemia: The Great Imitator
Which of the following 9 patients had hyperkalemia? Can you estimate how high their serum potassium was based on the ECG? Jesse MacLaren guides us through 9 ECGs underscoring the fact that while the ECG cannot rule out hyperkalemia, significant hyperkalemia often produces ECG changes in the heart rate (bradycardia, junctional rhythm), electrical conduction (PR prolongation or loss of P waves, QRS prolongation, pacemaker delays), and ST/T waves (Brugada phenocopy, peaked T waves that are narrow/pointy) that can be easily recognized. He suggests when you might pull the trigger on giving empiric calcium treatment based on the ECG finding in this month's ECG Cases...
ECG Cases 5: Cardiac Syncope
In this ECG Cases blog we look at seven patients with cardiac syncope, and a systematic approach to ECG interpretation...
ECG Cases 3: Can you find the subtle inferior MI?
In this ECG Cases blog we look at 8 patients with potentially ischemic symptoms, to highlight pearls and pitfalls of inferior MI. Can you identify which ones had acute coronary occlusion?...
ECG Cases 1: Missed Ischemia – Never Trust the ECG Computer Interpretation
In EM Cases' first ECG Cases blog we review 7 examples of ECGs of patients presenting to the ED with chest pain, who's ECG were read as normal by the computer. And guess what...they all show acute ischemia!