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Top Ten (or 11) EKG Killers. Micelle Haydel, MD LSUHSC New Orleans. Credit to Amal Mattu, MD. Lectures: ACEP EmedHome Podcasts Visiting Lectures Books: ECG's for the Emergency Physician 1 by Mattu & Brady ECGs for the Emergency Physician 2 by Mattu & Brady
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Top Ten (or 11) EKG Killers Micelle Haydel, MD LSUHSC New Orleans
Credit to Amal Mattu, MD • Lectures: • ACEP • EmedHome Podcasts • Visiting Lectures • Books: • ECG's for the Emergency Physician 1 by Mattu & Brady • ECGs for the Emergency Physician 2 by Mattu & Brady • Electrocardiography in Emergency Medicine by Amal Mattu
The EKG must be interpreted in the clinical context. • Don’t order a test unless you know what to do with the results…
Majority QRS complexes are positive (have tall R waves) Except AVR & V1-2; r-wave progression across the precordium T wave in V1 should be small, flat or flipped The Normal Adult EKG
Differential Dx of Tall R waves in V1 • Posterior MI • RBBB • Right Strain • PE • COPD • Cor Pulmonale • RBBB mimics • PE • Brugada • ARVD • WPW • Pediatric EKG (tall R-wave and flipped t-wave V1-3)
Specific causes of non-specificflipped T-Waves • CAD/ischemia • Cardiomyopathies • Myocarditis, pericarditis • PE • Valvular disorders • CNS bleed • LVH, BBB, paced
Differential Diagnosis: Tall t-waves • Hyperacute T-waves/ischemia • HyperKalemia • BER • LVH, BBB, Paced
Low voltage: qrs <10mm precordial • Obese patient The New Orleans’ Special • Restrictive cardiomyopathy • Pericardial effusion • Hypothyroid • Hypothermia • Myocarditis
The EKG must be interpreted in the clinical context. • Don’t order a test unless you know what to do with the results…
Cardiomyopathies Dilated Hypertrophic Restrictive ARVD/C Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dyplasia/Cardiomyopathy Primary arrhythmic syndromes WPW QT intervalopathies Brugada ARVD CPVT Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Not-so BER Other Biggies MI Pulmonary Embolism Is it Syncope-- or is it a sentinel death event??
~300,000/yr in US Over 35 years ~80% due to CAD ~15% Cardiomyopathy NEJM Huikuri et al. 345 (20): 1473, November 15, 2001 Sudden Cardiac Death: unexpected death within 1 hour of symptomsFinal, common pathway: Vtach/fib 90%
Sudden Cardiac Death: 1-35 yrsFinal, common pathway: Vtach/fib 90% ~3,000/yr U.S. • ~70% have a structural abnormality • Cardiomyopathies • Coronary Anomalies • Myocarditis • Valvular Disorders • Primary arrhythmic syndromes • Accessory pathways • QT intervalopathies • Ion channelopathies
EKG findings in Sentinel Death Events • Cardiomyopathies: (flipped T waves plus…) • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (LVH) • Dilated (LVH) • Restrictive cardiomyopathy (low voltage,a-fib, conduction disturbances) • Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia /Cardiomyopathy (Epsilon waves, RBBB pattern)
Primary arrhythmic syndromes Brugada coved/saddle deformity ST V1 &V2 WPW Delta waves, short PR interval, RBBB pattern Prolonged/shortened QT Not so-BER inferior-lateral j-point elevation Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia:Normal RESTING EKG/ECHO with recurrent syncope starting in childhood related to exertion/emotions. EKG findings in Sentinel Death Events
EKG findings in Sentinel Death Events • Myocarditis (diffuse flipped T waves) • Congenital coronary-artery anomalies (large p waves) • Coronary artery disease: (Wellen’s Sign, Hyperacute T waves, Too tall T-waves) • Valvular disorders (AS: LVH; MVP: normal or flipped T waves inferiorly)
WPW • Delta waves, short PR interval • tall R-waves in V1, RBBB pattern • Pseudoinfarction pattern inferiorly
QT interval • Depending on the rate, ~normally about the size of two big blocks
Congenital SHORT QT syndrome (<320ms) --- vtach, syncope, SCD
Hypertrophic CardioMyopathy • The most common ECG abnormalities • left ventricular hypertrophy • abnormal ST-segments • Deeply flipped T-wave, tall R apical leads, deep Q waves laterally
Hypertrophic CardioMyopathy • Asymmetrical thickening of the ventricular septum • Patients may experience syncope, angina, palpitations, dyspnea
Restrictive cardiomyopathy: Low Voltage with flipped anterior Twaves
Restrictive cardiomyopathy: • Amyloidosis, sarcoidosis, hemochromatosis, etc • Ventricles become rigid and lack the flexibility to expand during diastole. • SOB, fatigue, palpitations & syncope other common findings : atrial fib, conduction delays
Specific causes of non-specificflipped T-Waves • CAD/ischemia • Cardiomyopathies • Myocarditis, pericarditis • PE • Valvular disorders • CNS bleed • LVH, BBB, paced
Brugada Na ion channelopathy that predisposes to v-tach/fib Coved or Saddle types
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/ Cardiomyopathy • Replacement of RV muscle by fibro-fatty tissue • Associated with VT and ventricular fibrillation
Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy AVRD/C • May have Epsilon waves: sharp discrete deflections at the terminal portion of the QRS complex in V1-2 • Inverted T waves in the anterior leads • Incomplete or complete RBBB Blips or wiggles in the terminal part of the QRS
Classically BER is found in the mid- precordial leads Notching, smiley face upward deflection Not-so BER: NEJM 358:2016-2023 Haïssaguerre et al, showed that inferior-lateral ST elevation was associated with v tach/fib. BER vs Not-so-Benign Early Repolarization
BER, with inferior-lateral J point elevation • Similar j point elevation & notching has been noted in ARVD, WPW & Brugada. • The jury is still out: BER in the inferior-lateral leads can be considered benign, unless the patient presents with syncope, palpitations, family hx sudden death.
Cardiomyopathies Dilated Hypertrophic Restrictive ARVD/C Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dyplasia/Cardiomyopathy Primary arrhythmic syndromes WPW QT intervalopathies Brugada ARVD CPVT Catecholaminergic Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Not-so BER Other Biggies MI Pulmonary Embolism Is it Syncope-- or is it a sentinel death event??
EKG in Chest Pain and/or SOB • Ischemia • Pericarditis/Myocarditis • PE • Tamponade
PE • S1,Q3,T3 • Rt strain (RBBB pattern) • Flipped anterior t-waves
Dogma: The most common ECG abnormalities in PE are tachycardia and nonspecific T wave abnormalities. • Recent studies: The most common ECG finding in PE is anterior T-wave inversion. • Mattu: the combination of flipped t-waves anteriorly and inferiorly is very specific for PE.
Number of Leads with T Wave inversion correlating with RV dysfunction on Echo: ≤ 3 = 47% 4-6 = 92% ≥ 7 = 100% Kosuge et al. Circ J 2006 Flipped T waves in Pulmonary Embolism
Low voltage: qrs <10mm precordial • Obese patient The New Orleans’ Special • Restrictive cardiomyopathy • Pericardial effusion • Hypothyroid • Hypothermia • Myocarditis