Heartburn Electrocardiogram

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Template:Heartburn Electrocardiogram Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: José Eduardo Riceto Loyola Junior, M.D.[2] Cafer Zorkun, M.D., Ph.D. [3]

Overview

There are no ECG findings associated with heartburn. The ECG may be useful in the diagnosis of cardiac causes of heartburn such as acute coronary syndromes.

Electrocardiogram

  • There are no ECG findings associated with GERD. However, EKG can be performed in cases of GERD that present with atypical chest pain that can mimic angina pectoris pain.[1]

In case of heartburn due to acute coronary syndromes, the 12 lead ECG is used to classify patients into one of three groups:

  • Those with ST segment elevation or new bundle branch block (suspicious for acute injury and a possible candidate for acute reperfusion therapy with thrombolytics or primary PCI),
  • Those with ST segment depression or T wave inversion (suspicious for ischemia), and
  • Those with a so-called non-diagnostic or normal ECG.[2]

A normal ECG does not rule out the presence of acute myocardial infarction. Sometimes the earliest presentation of acute myocardial infarction is instead the presence of a hyperacute T wave.[3] In clinical practice, hyperacute T waves are rarely seen, because they exists for only 2-30 minutes after the onset of infarction.[4] Hyperacute T waves need to be distinguished from the peaked T waves associated with hyperkalemia.[5]

ST Elevation

The electrocardiographic definition of ST elevation MI requires the following: at least 1 mm (0.1 mV) of ST segment elevation in 2 or more anatomically contiguous leads.[2] While these criteria are sensitive, they are not specific as thrombotic coronary occlusion is not the most common cause of ST segment elevation in chest pain patients.[6]

ST Depression

ST depression in the anterior leads might either represent reciprocal changes on EKG[7] or might be pathologically caused by either anterior ischemia in the context of a patent artery[8] or posterior infarct due to the complete occlusion of a coronary artery.[9]

References

  1. Katz PO, Gerson LB, Vela MF (2013). "Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease". Am J Gastroenterol. 108 (3): 308–28, quiz 329. doi:10.1038/ajg.2012.444. PMID 23419381.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care - Part 8: Stabilization of the Patient With Acute Coronary Syndromes." Circulation 2005; 112: IV-89 - IV-110.
  3. Somers MP, Brady WJ, Perron AD, Mattu A (2002). "The prominant T wave: electrocardiographic differential diagnosis". Am J Emerg Med. 20 (3): 243–51. PMID 11992348. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. Smith SW, Whitwam W. "Acute Coronary Syndromes." Emerg Med Clin N Am 2006; 24(1): 53-89. PMID 16308113
  5. "The clinical value of the ECG in noncardiac conditions." Chest 2004; 125(4): 1561-76. PMID 15078775
  6. Smith SW, Whitwam W (2006). "Acute coronary syndromes". Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. 24 (1): 53–89, vi. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2005.08.008. PMID 16308113. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. Norell MS, Lyons JP, Gardener JE, Layton CA, Balcon R (1989). "Significance of "reciprocal" ST segment depression: left ventriculographic observations during left anterior descending coronary angioplasty". J Am Coll Cardiol. 13 (6): 1270–4. PMID 2522957.
  8. Gibson CM, Chen M, Angeja BG, Murphy SA, Marble SJ, Barron HV; et al. (2002). "Precordial ST-segment depression in inferior myocardial infarction is associated with slow flow in the non-culprit left anterior descending artery". J Thromb Thrombolysis. 13 (1): 9–12. PMID 11994554.
  9. Pride YB, Tung P, Mohanavelu S, Zorkun C, Wiviott SD, Antman EM; et al. (2010). "Angiographic and clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndromes presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment depression: a TRITON-TIMI 38 (Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition With Prasugrel-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 38) substudy". JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 3 (8): 806–11. doi:10.1016/j.jcin.2010.05.012. PMID 20723851.

Electrocardiogram

  • There are no ECG findings associated with GERD. However, EKG can be performed in cases of GERD that present with atypical chest pain that can mimic angina pectoris pain.[1]

In case of heartburn due to acute coronary syndromes, the 12 lead ECG is used to classify patients into one of three groups:

  • Those with ST segment elevation or new bundle branch block (suspicious for acute injury and a possible candidate for acute reperfusion therapy with thrombolytics or primary PCI),
  • Those with ST segment depression or T wave inversion (suspicious for ischemia), and
  • Those with a so-called non-diagnostic or normal ECG.[2]

A normal ECG does not rule out the presence of acute myocardial infarction. Sometimes the earliest presentation of acute myocardial infarction is instead the presence of a hyperacute T wave.[3] In clinical practice, hyperacute T waves are rarely seen, because they exists for only 2-30 minutes after the onset of infarction.[4] Hyperacute T waves need to be distinguished from the peaked T waves associated with hyperkalemia.[5]

ST Elevation

The electrocardiographic definition of ST elevation MI requires the following: at least 1 mm (0.1 mV) of ST segment elevation in 2 or more anatomically contiguous leads.[2] While these criteria are sensitive, they are not specific as thrombotic coronary occlusion is not the most common cause of ST segment elevation in chest pain patients.[6]

ST Depression

ST depression in the anterior leads might either represent reciprocal changes on EKG[7] or might be pathologically caused by either anterior ischemia in the context of a patent artery[8] or posterior infarct due to the complete occlusion of a coronary artery.[9]

  1. Katz PO, Gerson LB, Vela MF (2013). "Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of gastroesophageal reflux disease". Am J Gastroenterol. 108 (3): 308–28, quiz 329. doi:10.1038/ajg.2012.444. PMID 23419381.
  2. 2.0 2.1 "2005 American Heart Association Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care - Part 8: Stabilization of the Patient With Acute Coronary Syndromes." Circulation 2005; 112: IV-89 - IV-110.
  3. Somers MP, Brady WJ, Perron AD, Mattu A (2002). "The prominant T wave: electrocardiographic differential diagnosis". Am J Emerg Med. 20 (3): 243–51. PMID 11992348. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  4. Smith SW, Whitwam W. "Acute Coronary Syndromes." Emerg Med Clin N Am 2006; 24(1): 53-89. PMID 16308113
  5. "The clinical value of the ECG in noncardiac conditions." Chest 2004; 125(4): 1561-76. PMID 15078775
  6. Smith SW, Whitwam W (2006). "Acute coronary syndromes". Emerg. Med. Clin. North Am. 24 (1): 53–89, vi. doi:10.1016/j.emc.2005.08.008. PMID 16308113. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  7. Norell MS, Lyons JP, Gardener JE, Layton CA, Balcon R (1989). "Significance of "reciprocal" ST segment depression: left ventriculographic observations during left anterior descending coronary angioplasty". J Am Coll Cardiol. 13 (6): 1270–4. PMID 2522957.
  8. Gibson CM, Chen M, Angeja BG, Murphy SA, Marble SJ, Barron HV; et al. (2002). "Precordial ST-segment depression in inferior myocardial infarction is associated with slow flow in the non-culprit left anterior descending artery". J Thromb Thrombolysis. 13 (1): 9–12. PMID 11994554.
  9. Pride YB, Tung P, Mohanavelu S, Zorkun C, Wiviott SD, Antman EM; et al. (2010). "Angiographic and clinical outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndromes presenting with isolated anterior ST-segment depression: a TRITON-TIMI 38 (Trial to Assess Improvement in Therapeutic Outcomes by Optimizing Platelet Inhibition With Prasugrel-Thrombolysis In Myocardial Infarction 38) substudy". JACC Cardiovasc Interv. 3 (8): 806–11. doi:10.1016/j.jcin.2010.05.012. PMID 20723851.