Hyperacute Anterior Infarction

Report:

Sinus rhythm 70 – 74/min

(Hyper)acute anterior infarction

Comment:

The term hyperacute is frowned at by some, but it does have reasonable economy of expression and definitional specificity in referring to early infarction predominantly manifest as tall T waves. The problem is that those prone to strong language commonly apply the term when they see striking ST segment elevation, divesting the term of its specificity.

These T waves are unusually narrow and could pass for hyperkalæmic ones were it not for the helpful reciprocal ST segment depression in the three inferior leads.

Thrombolytic treatment was given on admission. The next morning, 9 hours later, the patient’s ECG looked almost completely normal – the so-called stage of illusion. The abnormal bit is TV1 > TV6 but I signed the computer “normal” readout anyway, (below, Fig 96a) for reasons I cannot now remember.

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