There are two possibilities for the major ECG diagnosis: myocardial infarction or acute injury.

• If there are no pathological changes in the QRS complex, diagnose acute injury of the affected segments, beginning with the primary area, followed by any contiguous areas.
• If there are ECG criteria for infarction, based upon pathologic changes in the QRS complex, diagnose infarction, beginning with the primary area, followed by any contiguous areas, and state the age of the infarction.

Persistent ST segment elevation after acute MI
Persistent ST segment elevation > 1 mm after a myocardial infarction was a sign of dyskinetic wall motion in the area of infarct in 100% of patients in one echocardiographic study. One-half of these patients had echocardiographically defined aneurysm.

MI - Overview | Go to Step 6 | Back to Index