A 60-something with h/o cirrhosis and diabetes called 911 because he felt sick and was unable to move his lower extremities.
Comment: There is also a very wide QRS. The regular rate suggests: Junctional with aberrancy, or ventricular escape, or sinus bradycardia with an invisible P-wave (this happens in hyperK). The regular rate rules out atrial fib, unless there is atrial fib with complete AV block and an escape.
Whenever there is bradycardia or a wide QRS, especially BOTH, it is hyperkalemia until proven otherwise. Hyperkalemia often results in PseudoSTEMI patterns, especially in V1 and V2, but also in inferior leads.
See these other cases of PseudoSTEMI due to hyperkalemia. Some were unrecognized, resulted in inappropriate cath lab activation, and then resulted in death.
Based on the initial ECG, the providers activated the Cath Lab.
However very shortly after activation, they received the initial labs.
Unmeasurable lactate over 12
Metabolic acidosis with a pH of 7.08
Bicarb of 11, with no significant respiratory compensation with a PCO2 of 40
Acute renal failure with a potassium of 8.8 and a creatinine of 2.38.
With this information, they deactivated the Cath Lab and focused our treatment on acute hyperkalemia.
They administered 6 grams of calcium gluconate (equivalent to 2 g of CaCl), 10 units of IV regular insulin, D50, and 10 mg of nebulized albuterol.
A repeat ECG was recorded:
On arrival he was bradycardic and hypotensive.
He stated that starting approximately 7 hours prior the he felt that he was unable to feel his extremities. At some point after that he contacted his neighbor who came to check on him and called 911. On arrival to the stabilization room he says he can feel his extremities and and states that he just generally feels unwell. He denies any chest pain or shortness of breath.
EMS reports that when they arrived to the scene he had a heart rate in the 40s with very weak and thready peripheral pulses and altered mental status. He had a syncopal episode while getting into the EMS cart. He maintained pulses but was ashen and diaphoretic. He was largely unresponsive to voice during his transport to the hospital.
BP systolic 60.
Ultrasound revealed global dilation of all 4 chambers of the heart with poor contractility, a IVC that measured 2.4 cm, no significant B-lines in lung fields nor large pleural effusions.
An ECG was recorded:
No definite P-waves, Bradycardic, Regular, lots of artifact. There is ST Elevation in V1 and V2 What do you think? |
Comment: There is also a very wide QRS. The regular rate suggests: Junctional with aberrancy, or ventricular escape, or sinus bradycardia with an invisible P-wave (this happens in hyperK). The regular rate rules out atrial fib, unless there is atrial fib with complete AV block and an escape.
Whenever there is bradycardia or a wide QRS, especially BOTH, it is hyperkalemia until proven otherwise. Hyperkalemia often results in PseudoSTEMI patterns, especially in V1 and V2, but also in inferior leads.
See these other cases of PseudoSTEMI due to hyperkalemia. Some were unrecognized, resulted in inappropriate cath lab activation, and then resulted in death.
Based on the initial ECG, the providers activated the Cath Lab.
However very shortly after activation, they received the initial labs.
Unmeasurable lactate over 12
Metabolic acidosis with a pH of 7.08
Bicarb of 11, with no significant respiratory compensation with a PCO2 of 40
Acute renal failure with a potassium of 8.8 and a creatinine of 2.38.
With this information, they deactivated the Cath Lab and focused our treatment on acute hyperkalemia.
They administered 6 grams of calcium gluconate (equivalent to 2 g of CaCl), 10 units of IV regular insulin, D50, and 10 mg of nebulized albuterol.
A repeat ECG was recorded:
Dramatic improvement Peaked T-waves remain in all leads, and QRS is still wide, but much better. |