The Patient:  A 75-yr-old man called Emergency Services because of chest pain and shortness of breath. He had just returned from a 15-mile bicycle ride, during which he had to stop several times to catch his breath, not normal for him.  He was so diaphoretic, they were not able to get a good 12-lead ECG. While the paramedics were assessing him and preparing for transport, he went into ventricular fibrillation. He was defibrillated at 360 joules within seconds of onset, and converted to sinus rhythm with pulses.

The patient:  This is a man in his seventies who complains of light-headedness for several days, and feeling worse today, prompting an emergency call. He offers no cardiac history.  BP 116/62 and 116/58.  Blood glucose 220 mg/dL.   Physical exam unremarkable.

Ahmed A. Tawakol, MD a cardiologist with a clinical and research focus on cardiovascular imaging. He obtained his medical degree from Stanford Medical School, then trained at Brigham and Women’s Hospi...

Sometimes in a simple 1-lead ECG strip, various interesting ECG phenomena can be recognized, such as here. One could briefly look over the ECG, make the diagnosis of ventricular bigeminus and then be ...

The shortage may last months as the US expects an increase in hospitalizations due to respiratory virus season.

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