College
Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
Keywords
EKG, Electrocardiography, 12-Lead EKG, Chest Pain, Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures, Cardiovascular Diagnostic Techniques
Date of Presentation
5-4-2023 12:00 AM
Poster Abstract
Chest pain is one of the most common chief complaints that presents to the emergency department. More than 8 million patients with chest related complaints present each year with about 10% of all ED visits comprise of cardiovascular emergencies. Immediate evaluation is the standard of care to differentiate between life threatening conditions and non-life threatening ones with the use of 12-lead electrocardiograph (EKG) and bedside monitors. The 12 lead EKG remains gold standard for initial screening and evaluating patients with chest pain and angina equivalents. The test is fairly inexpensive and noninvasive with providing vital information about cardiac rhythm. The America College of Cardiology and The American Heart Association recommend patients who present to the ED with chest pain have a 12 lead recorded within 10 minutes .
More importantly than a single EKG are serial EKGs. Literature has demonstrated that serial EKGs are crucial when an initial EKG is non-diagnostic but a patient’s signs or symptoms are consistent with acute myocardial infarction . Literature has shown that serial EKG recordings enhance the diagnostic sensitivity compared to abnormalities on a single tracing and more importantly allow clinicians to observe changes and possible evolving ischemia events. Studies have shown how initial non-ischemic EKGs with patients presenting with sharp chest pain developed into STEMI or STEMI equivalent EKGs due to serial EKGs.
Disciplines
Cardiology | Cardiovascular Diseases | Diagnosis | Emergency Medicine | Equipment and Supplies | Medicine and Health Sciences | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms
Included in
Cardiology Commons, Cardiovascular Diseases Commons, Diagnosis Commons, Emergency Medicine Commons, Equipment and Supplies Commons, Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Commons
Importance of Serial EKGs in the Emergency Room Setting
Chest pain is one of the most common chief complaints that presents to the emergency department. More than 8 million patients with chest related complaints present each year with about 10% of all ED visits comprise of cardiovascular emergencies. Immediate evaluation is the standard of care to differentiate between life threatening conditions and non-life threatening ones with the use of 12-lead electrocardiograph (EKG) and bedside monitors. The 12 lead EKG remains gold standard for initial screening and evaluating patients with chest pain and angina equivalents. The test is fairly inexpensive and noninvasive with providing vital information about cardiac rhythm. The America College of Cardiology and The American Heart Association recommend patients who present to the ED with chest pain have a 12 lead recorded within 10 minutes .
More importantly than a single EKG are serial EKGs. Literature has demonstrated that serial EKGs are crucial when an initial EKG is non-diagnostic but a patient’s signs or symptoms are consistent with acute myocardial infarction . Literature has shown that serial EKG recordings enhance the diagnostic sensitivity compared to abnormalities on a single tracing and more importantly allow clinicians to observe changes and possible evolving ischemia events. Studies have shown how initial non-ischemic EKGs with patients presenting with sharp chest pain developed into STEMI or STEMI equivalent EKGs due to serial EKGs.
