A Visual Guide to ECG Interpretation

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A VISUAL GUIDE TO ECG INTERPRETATION

ECG 9.14B A 60-year-old male complains of having to stop every 30 feet to catch his breath; his ECG 1 year prior.

Pericardial fluid

ECG 9.14C

RV

LV

FIGURE 9.7 This patient’s echocardiogram. Copyright © 2021 Wolters Kluwer, Inc. Unauthorized reproduction of the content is prohibited.

Cardiac Tamponade

The voltage of this patient’s more recent ECG is notably less than the one obtained 1 year prior. Even if an ECG does not satisfy low-voltage criteria, a significant decrease in voltage from a prior study can be clinically significant. This patient’s transthoracic echocardiogram is shown to the right (Fig. 9.7). A total of 1,200 mL of fluid was drained during this patient’s pericardiocentesis. The cytology obtained from this pericardial fluid demonstrated non-small cell lung cancer.