COAD: P Pulmonale Causing ST Segment Depression

Report:

Sinus tachycardia 117/min

Right atrial abnormality

Small voltage (absolute)

Late transition

Borderline ST segment changes

Comment:

The P wave axis is 86o, with 0.4 mV amplitude in lead 2 and the characteristic peaked shape. As often happens in COAD, the V1 P wave has increased PTF, more commonly seen in left atrial enlargement.

Some of the ST segment depression in the inferior leads may be due to atrial repolarisation (TA wave). Some may also be due to baseline (TP segment) not being reached by the end of T wave in tachycardia, before the next P wave.

This patient collapsed, saying he ‘felt awful’ and required prolonged ventilation and tracheostomy; the reason for his decompensation was never established. One diagnosis sometimes discovered long after the initial intubation is peripheral neuropathy, but this patient did not have it.

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