The late presenting STEMI: How ECG scores can be used to estimate event time.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Patients presenting with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) derive significant benefit from timely percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Electrocardiogram (ECG) scoring systems can complement history to estimate the infarction age and inform clinical decision-making. CASE A 76year old man presented with eight days of dyspnea on exertion and chest pain. Triage ECG showed ST elevation and Q waves in the anterior leads. The patient was taken for coronary angiography and found to have a 100% occlusion of the left anterior descending artery. DISCUSSION: Determining timing of acute coronary syndromes is challenging. ECG indices aid clinical history by quantifying infarction acuity.