ECG Cases – Making complexes simple is a monthly blog by Jesse McLaren (@ECGcases), a Toronto emergency physician with an interest in emergency cardiology quality improvement and education. Each post features a number of ECGs related to a particular theme or diagnosis (with a focus on acute coronary occlusion), so you can test your interpretation skills. We challenge you with missed or delayed diagnosis, those with false positive diagnosis, and those that had a rapid and correct diagnosis. Cases are followed by a quick summary of the literature that relates to the cases, and we bring it home with practice changing pearls that you can use on your next shift.
Share your interesting ECGs with us!
ECG Cases 34 – ECG Interpretation in Aortic Dissection
Which patients with ECG evidence of coronary occlusion require a CT scan to rule out aortic dissection? What are the range of ECG findings in acute aortic dissection and how do they change management? Dr. Jesse McLaren guides us through 9 cases to answer these and other questions on ECG interpretation in aortic dissection...
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 32 Prehospital ECG pearls and pitfalls
In this ECG Cases blog we review 8 cases of patients with prehospital ECGs and explore prehospital ECGs for diagnosing STEMI, Occlusion MI, false STEMI, code STEMI, dynamic ischemic changes, truncated voltages. Can you avoid the pitfalls and spot the pearls that help to make the diagnosis?
ECG Cases 31 Is a 15 lead ECG better than 12? Diagnosing Posterior MI and RVMI
Is 15 lead ECG better than 12 lead for diagnosing posterior MI or right ventricular infarction? When do you need a 15 lead ECG? Jesse McLaren guides us through 8 cases to highlight the steps and pitfalls in diagnosing posterior MI and RVMI in light of recent ECG literature...
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...
ECG Cases 29 Misdiagnosis from Lead Misplacement, Artifact and Lead Reversal
In this ECG Cases blog we review 10 cases of possible artifact, lead reversal and lead misplacement. Can you spot the abnormalities and avoid the misdiagnosis?...
