Wj. Brady, ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC LEFT-VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN CHEST PAIN PATIENTS - DIFFERENTIATION FROM ACUTE CORONARY ISCHEMIC EVENTS, The American journal of emergency medicine, 16(7), 1998, pp. 692-696
Electrocardiographic left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and related re
polarization changes alter the morphology of the ST segment and/or the
T wave. Such electrocardiographic abnormalities-all features that are
encountered in patients with acute ischemic heart disease-may con fou
nd the early emergency department evaluation of the chest pain patient
, In the instance of the chest pain patient demonstrating ST segment/T
wave abnormality, the correct electrocardiographic diagnosis must be
made not only to offer appropriate management for that particular illn
ess but also to avoid the incorrect application of potentially dangero
us therapies such as thrombolysis. This report presents two cases in w
hich the electrocardiogram demonstrated significant repolarization cha
nges consistent with LVH, and focuses on the recognition of the expect
ed ST segment/T waves changes and their differentiation from the prima
ry ST segment/T wave changes associated with acute ischemic heart dise
ase. Copyright (C) 1998 by W.B. Saunders Company.