PULMONARY EMBOLISM-ECG

SUMMARY

1. The only specific (but not sensitive) ECG changes seen with PE are tachycardia and right ventricle strain from acute cor pulmonale.

2. On ECG, right heart strain → SIQ3T3; that is, the S wave is large in I, the Q wave is large in III, and the T wave is inverted in III.

3. ECG also helps rule out MI.

Reference(s)

Wilkinson, I., Furmedge, D. and Sinharay, R. (2017). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Get it on Amazon.
Feather, A., Randall, D. and Waterhouse, M. (2020). Kumar And Clark’s Clinical Medicine. 10th ed. S.L.: Elsevier Health Sciences. Get it on Amazon.
Hannaman, R. A., Bullock, L., Hatchell, C. A., & Yoffe, M. (2016). Internal medicine review core curriculum, 2017-2018. CO Springs, CO: MedStudy.
Therapeutic Guidelines. Melbourne: Therapeutic Guidelines Limited. https://www.tg.org.au [Accessed 2021].