| | Normal Variant / Mimic | |-------------------------------|----------------------------| | Q waves in both limb leads (I, aVL) and precordial leads (V5-V6) | Septal Q waves (narrow, <0.04s, in V5-V6 alone) | | Associated with regional wall motion abnormality on echo | No wall motion abnormality | | History of CAD or equivalent (DM, CKD, PAD) | Young, athletic, low pretest probability | | Loss of R wave + Q wave in same lead | Isolated Q wave with normal R wave |
: The electrical signal might be small or distorted due to lead placement, leading to a "low voltage" reading that the computer flags as an infarct. The Texas Heart Institute +3 Next Steps and Follow-Up Because an EKG alone cannot confirm a previous heart attack, doctors typically use additional tests to distinguish between a true past event and a normal variant: The Texas Heart Institute +1 10 sites I don't think I had a heart attack, but my EKG suggests it ... Apr 23, 2015 — lateral infarct age undetermined
The cardiologist’s voice was detached, clinical, a tone practiced to smooth the sharp edges of bad news. He pointed to a blurry, gray smudge on the echocardiogram, a ghost in the machinery of the heart. He pointed to a blurry, gray smudge on
A diagnosis of on an ECG report typically means the computer has detected electrical patterns—often permanent Q waves —that suggest the side (lateral wall) of your heart may have been damaged at some point in the past . He pointed to a blurry
Septal Infarct: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment - Cleveland Clinic
: This indicates that the electrical evidence of damage is "stable." It doesn't look like an active, evolving heart attack happening right now, but the machine can't tell if the "damage" happened yesterday, ten years ago, or if it is just a quirk of your heart's anatomy.