And..ECG

I forgot to add that yesterday they did ecg at work jus to check on things and it came up abnormal and said *Electronic atrial pacemaker..*Rightward axis..*ST elevation consider inferior injury or acute infarct..***ACUTE MI***...I do know that sometimes they can over analyze the readings but was curious as to what everyone else might think

thanks Holly

4 Comments

Agree 2

by RobertS - 2013-01-08 02:01:23

with Frank and Inga - need to see the full print out to make a sensible diagnosis.

The ECG has recognised you have a pacemaker. ST segment is the bit of the ECG graph just after the tall spike [the R of the QRS complex ] falls below the centre line [the S ] to the little blip [the T wave] . The ST segment measures part of the electrical activity in the ventricles. ST elevation can be caused by many things - the most serious I guess being an MI. But I read that there is a 20% chance of false positives and slightly higher in women.

So it may well be nothing sinister but if you are worried then push for someone qualified to read the full print out. Peace of mind is good for the heart.

Robert

ECG "diagnosis"

by ElectricFrank - 2013-01-08 02:01:52

The software built into the modern ECG while helpful to the doc in flagging a potential problem is notoriously inaccurate. It's even worse when it has the pacemaker signals to contend with. The ECG has no idea how the pacer is programmed so has no way to take it into account. The operation manual for these pacers warns that any diagnosis or treatment should only be made by a qualified doctors examination of the actual waveforms.

Of course that rarely happens,

frank

Agree

by golden_snitch - 2013-01-08 03:01:44

Don't ever believe what automatic ECG analysis tells you! As Frank pointed out, especially when you have some kind of heart rhythm device, the software will not be able to give you a correct diagnosis. Really, don't even bother thinking about it any longer, it's most often bullshit. And since you had the event recorder which transmits data via cellphone towers, I'm pretty sure that the nurse or doctor had called right away, if the ECG had shown anything worrysome. I had such a event recorder once, and my Mom, too, and whenever we recorded an episode that was really not ok, they'd call us at least the same day.

Best
Inga

More than anxiety as result

by ElectricFrank - 2013-01-09 02:01:47

We can only guess how many unnecessary chemical stress tests and even catheterizations are done based on the the computer ECG diagnosis. Some are due to misunderstanding the nature of them, and worse yet they can be used as a profit center.

Ah well,
frank

You know you're wired when...

The dog’s invisible fence prevents you from leaving the backyard.

Member Quotes

As for my pacemaker (almost 7 years old) I like to think of it in the terms of the old Timex commercial - takes a licking and keeps on ticking.