scholarly journals Typical chest pain and precordial leads ST-elevation in patients with pacemakers - are we always looking at an acute myocardial infarction?

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (9) ◽  
pp. 837-840
Author(s):  
Marina Ostojic ◽  
Tatjana Potpara ◽  
Marija Polovina ◽  
Mladen Ostojic ◽  
Miodrag Ostojic

Introduction. Electrocardiographic (ECG) diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients with paced rhythm is difficult. Sgarbossa?s criteria represent helpful diagnostic ECG tool. Case report. A 57-year-old female patient with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and a permanent pacemaker presented in the Emergency Department with prolonged typical chest pain and ECG recording suggestive for AMI. Documented ECG changes correspond to the first Sgarbossa?s criterion for AMI in patients with dual pacemakers (ST-segment elevation of ? 5 mm in the presence of the negative QRS complex). The patient was sent to catheterization lab where coronary angiogram reveled normal findings. ECG changes occurred due to pericardial reaction following two interventions: pacemaker implantation a month before and radiofrequency catheter ablation of AV junction two weeks before presentation in Emergency Department. Conclusion. This case report points out to the limitations of proposed criteria that aid in the recognition of AMI in patients with underlying paced rhythm and possible cause(s) of transient electrocardiographic abnormalities.

2017 ◽  
Vol 70 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 44-47
Author(s):  
Milenko Cankovic ◽  
Snezana Bjelic ◽  
Vladimir Ivanovic ◽  
Anastazija Stojsic-Milosavljevic ◽  
Dalibor Somer ◽  
...  

Introduction. Acute myocardial infarction is a clinical manifestation of coronary disease which occurs when a blood vessel is narrowed or occluded in such a way that it leads to irreversible myocardial ischemia. ST segment depression in leads V1?V3 on the electrocardiogram points to the anterior wall ischemia, although it is actually ST elevation with posterior wall myocardial infarction. In the absence of clear ST segment elevation, it may be overlooked, leading to different therapeutic algorithms which could significantly affect the outcome. Case report. A 77 year-old female patient was admitted to the Coronary Care Unit due to prolonged chest pain followed by nausea and horizontal ST segment depression on the electrocardiogram in V1?V3 up to 3 mm. ST segment elevation myocardial infarction of the posterior wall was diagnosed, associated with the development of initial cardiogenic shock and ischemic mitral regurgitation. An emergency coronarography was performed as well as primary percutaneous coronary intervention with stent placement in the circumflex artery, the infarct-related artery. Due to a multi-vessel disease, surgical myocardial revascularization was indicated. Conclusion. Posterior wall transmural myocardial infarction is the most common misdiagnosis in the 12 lead electrocardiogram reading. Routine use of additional posterior (lateral) leads in all patients with chest pain has no diagnostic or therapeutic benefits, but it is indicated when posterior or lateral wall infarction is suspected. The use of posterior leads increases the number of diagnosed ST segment elevation myocardial infarctions contributing to better risk assessment, prognosis and survival due to reperfusion therapy.


2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Winkler ◽  
Sunit-Preet Chaudhry ◽  
Philip H. Stockwell

Acute myocardial infarction from septic embolization is a rare initial presentation of endocarditis. We report the case of a 67-year-old man who presented with acute chest pain, in whom emergency cardiac catheterization revealed findings that suggested coronary embolism. The patient was found to have Gemella endocarditis, with its initial presentation an embolic acute ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. We suggest that endocarditis be considered among the potential causes of acute myocardial infarction.


2011 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 1080-1087 ◽  
Author(s):  
Viviane de Araújo Gouveia ◽  
Edgar Guimarães Victor ◽  
Sandro Gonçalves de Lima

This case series aimed to evaluate the behavior adopted by patients during the pre-hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction (AMI). A total of 115 AMI sufferers with ST-segment elevation were evaluated. The chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were applied. The individuals that did not associate the symptoms with cardiovascular disease most often attributed them to the following sources: gastrointestinal (38%), musculoskeletal (29.7%), food and/or medication poisoning (8.5%) and arising from the respiratory apparatus (6.3%). The proportion of major outcomes and of patients that arrived in the emergency department after 12 hours was higher among women, individuals with monthly income of up to one minimum wage, those who used analgesics and did not associate the symptoms with cardiovascular disease. It was found that individuals in unfavorable socioeconomic conditions, who interpreted the symptoms incorrectly, arrived later at the emergency department and had worse intra-hospital outcomes.


2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Tobias Nagurney

Caring for the emergency department patient with chest pain represents an important challenge to the emergency physician. Chest pain is the second most common presentation among all emergency department patients, accounting for approximately 6 million visits per year in the United States. Chest pain may represent a benign condition or a time-critical life threat; symptom overlap between benign and serious conditions can make an accurate chest pain diagnosis challenging. This review covers the pathophysiology, assessment, stabilization, diagnosis and treatment, and disposition and outcomes of chest pain. The figure shows an algorithm outlining the approach to the patient with chest pain. Tables list critical and noncritical diagnoses in patients presenting with chest pain: history, physical examination, and bedside testing; risk factors or associations for acute coronary syndrome, pulmonary embolism, and aortic dissection; characteristics of the chest pain story to diagnose acute coronary syndrome; ABCDEs of resuscitation for patients with unstable vital signs; critical and noncritical diagnoses in patients presenting with chest pain: history, diagnosis, and treatment; prevalence of pulmonary embolism in patients classified as low or high probability for this diagnosis by Wells score, modified Geneva score, and gestalt; commonly recognized pitfalls in the workup and diagnosis of chest pain in the emergency department; critical diagnoses in patients presenting with chest pain: history, disposition, and outcome; and summary of current recommendations. This review contains 1 highly rendered figure, 11 tables, and 54 references. Key words: acute coronary syndrome, acute myocardial infarction, anginal pain, aortic dissection, cardiac-related pain, chest pain, coronary artery disease, non–ST segment elevation myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, ST segment elevation myocardial infarction


2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-241
Author(s):  
Aslı Bahar Ucar ◽  
Ebru Unal Akoglu ◽  
Tuba Cimilli Ozturk ◽  
Yalman Eyinc ◽  
Rohat Ak ◽  
...  

Background: Acute myocardial infarction is one of the most common causes of mortality in developed countries, and high-sensitive troponin test usually becomes positive within 3 h from the onset of symptoms. Myocardial perfusion index (Tei index) is a parameter measured during the echocardiographic examination. Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the diagnostic value of the Tei index for early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction in the emergency department and to evaluate the correlation between the Tei index and Hs-Troponin value. Materials and Methods: A total of 129 cases were evaluated, and patients were divided into two groups according to their final diagnosis as “acute myocardial infarction (non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction)” and “non-acute myocardial infarction” groups. Baseline and third-hour Hs-Troponin levels and Tei index values were determined, and their correlation was analyzed. Results: A total of 84 cases were diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction (non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction), 84.5% had positive Tei index results at the time of admission while the remaining 45 patients were diagnosed as non-acute myocardial infarction and only 48.9% of them had positive Tei index. The diagnostic value of the Tei index and Hs-troponin were calculated as 79.8% and 60%; 67.9% and 60%, respectively. Also, we found that a 0.02 or more increase in the Tei index value has a 97.6 sensitivity and 97.5 specificity for the diagnosis of non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. A weak correlation was found between the Tei index and Hs-Troponin values in the acute myocardial infarction group (r = 0.425) and a negative correlation in non-acute myocardial infarction patients at presentation. Conclusion: It is suggested that the use of Tei index might be used as a supportive measure for the early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, and the deterioration of Tei index seems to be more significant than Hs-Troponin especially in ruling out acute myocardial infarction.


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