Cardiology

What is the Lewis Lead, and how can it help you evaluate an ECG?

Which patient with syncope can go home?

EM Educator looks at pericarditis.

Welcome to a new series from Walid Malki that provides focused EM updates with infographics. Today Walid covers LVADs.

Do all patients with heart failure in the ED need admission? Are there any tools we can use for risk stratification?

A 69-year-old female presents with shortness of breath, orthopnea, and lower extremity swelling. She has a pacemaker placed 3 years ago for a complete heart block. She hands you her pacemaker identification card indicating that she has a single chamber pacemaker. Triage EKG: ventricular pacing spikes followed by QRS complexes. She has crackles at the lung bases and 2+ lower extremity pitting edema. What is the diagnosis? What is your next step in evaluation? What are some the types of pacemaker complications you should be evaluating for?

Cardiac ablation seems straightforward, but what complications can we see in the ED?

This week we continue a series on post myocardial infarction complications.  Today we present a case of a patient who developed left ventricular aneurysm and discuss the diagnosis and treatment.

Last month’s case was an example of a missed MI due to anchoring bias based on the patient’s prior history of pulmonary fibrosis. In this month’s brief summary, we are reminded that myocarditis is another cause of chest pain that must be considered, especially in younger patients.

The patient with hemodynamic instability and atrial fibrillation with RVR… a dangerous combination.