Cardiac Arrest and ST Elevation: You Should Learn to Recognize This!

The following case was incredibly interesting for other reasons, but in order to maintain confidentiality and also to allow for a subsequent case report by the physicians caring for the patient, I limit the discussion to the ECG findings and their etiology.

A man was resuscitated from an Asystolic Cardiac Arrest with Epi, bicarb, and chest compressions.  He was in shock.  

Here was the initial 12-lead:

This is nearly pathognomonic of at least one condition.  What is it?

There is sinus rhythm with a prolonged QRS, right precordial ST elevation, and very peaked T-waves in V4-V6.   This is hyperkalemia until proven otherwise.

It is possible that the ST elevation is due to STEMI, but unlikely.

Hyperkalemia often produces a Brugada-like right precordial PseudoSTEMI pattern.

The pH was 6.65, with a K of 7.5 mEq/L.

Here are 7 other examples of PseudoSTEMI due to HyperK:
1. http://hqmeded-ecg.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-tragic-case-related-to-last-post.html
2. http://hqmeded-ecg.blogspot.com/2013/11/you-must-recognize-this-pattern-even-if.html
3. http://hqmeded-ecg.blogspot.com/2013/06/hyperkalemia-and-st-segment-elevation.html
4. http://hqmeded-ecg.blogspot.com/2013/06/this-ecg-is-pathognomonic-of-life.html
5. (there are 3 in this post): http://hqmeded-ecg.blogspot.com/2013/02/right-bundle-branch-block-with-st.html


There is remarkably little literature on ECG findings in severe acidosis.
Here is a case in which one patient had 2 cardiac arrests on separate dates, both due to cocaine use, and both with severe acidosis and a bizarre Brugada-like ECG. 



He was given Calcium, bicarbonate, and Insulin


This ECG was recorded 30 minutes after the first:

Same findings, but less pronounced, and slower rate

The pH at this point was 6.80, with a K of 6.2 mEq/L.  More Calcium and Bicarb were given.



At 1 hour, with a pH of 6.95 and K of 7.2 (difficult to control), another ECG was recorded:

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