Need help with abnormal EKG results!! - Heart Disorders Message Board

tidalwave · 06-28-2003, 08:51 PM

Hi, I just found this board. I am a 39 year-old female with no history of heart problems (though my sister was just found to have a large hole in her heart and is preparing for open heart surgery). There is a family history of high blood pressure. I have been experiencing episodes of dizziness on and off for several months. I had been unhappy with my physician's office for several reason and am now looking for a new one.
I went to the ER one day ago due to severe nausea ect. after a trip to Mexico. They did an EKG and said that the results are abnormal and seem to indicate that I've had a heart attack in the past!!
Here is what the EKG said:
Vent rate: 83bpm
PR interval: 176ms
QRS duration 68ms
QT/QTc: 340/399
P-R-T axes: 78 60 60
Normal sinus rhythm
Left artial enlargement
Septal Infarct, age undetermined
Abnormal ECG

I know you are not physicians, but does anyone have any idea if these numbers seem really odd? Or how reliable this test is for this? I don't know what to think, but feel very nervous and can't sleep. My friend gave me the name of her cardiologist and I will call on Monday to see if he is on my insurance plan. I want to see someone quick to get some answers. Has anyone had similar results and then found out it was "nothing"?? Thanks for ANY feedback that you may be able to provide!

NMc · 07-01-2003, 02:53 PM

Hi Tidlewave:
I see no one has answered your post yet and I'm sure you're probably still concerned about your ekg results. I've not had a similar ekg result, but have read that septal (or anteroseptal) infarct is detected in the precordial leads (V1 and V2), which shows a "disappearing" R wave. An infarct in this region would indicate blockage of the LAD. This same pattern can also be an artifact due to electrode placement, so your latest test results may in fact be due to recording/placement of electrode error. You don't mention whether the ER attending indicated faith in the results nor what his/her recommendation for follow-up was, and so difficult to speculate at this point. It's a good idea to see a cardiologist and have the results (and a second ekg done) analyzed, as well as being assessed for CAD.
Good luck and let us know how things worked out.
Nancy

NMc · 07-01-2003, 02:56 PM

oops

[This message has been edited by NMc (edited 07-01-2003).]

NMc · 07-01-2003, 02:56 PM

Forgot to mention, the other values you gave (aside from left atrial enlargement) appear to be within normal limits. Do you suffer from hypertensive heart disease or valvular disorder by chance?
Nancy

tidalwave · 07-01-2003, 09:44 PM

Hi Nancy,

I really appreciate your response. To answer your question ..no doctor has ever said there was anything wrong with my heart before. So I have no known history of valve disease. Though it must be years since I've had an EKG..at least 7! I have no real history of high blood pressure..though it runs strongly in my family. I did have pregnancy induced highblood pressure 7 years ago and labor was induced prematurely as a result. Turns out this happened due to my kidney diseas which was diagnosed a year after my son's birth...and they then could not believe how long I had held out in my pregnancy (34 weeks). Much of my life, my blood pressure has been on the low side. Though 2 years ago..it was high at one point..but not when resting..and not for a significant period. It has been normal since..and was normal when I was in the ER the other day.
The ER doctor didn't comment upon the EKG too much. He just came in with the EKG results and told me it indicated that I had had a heart attack in the past. He did say "or this could just be normal for you"..which didn't make any sense to me. So I got the impression he wasn't too sure about the results. I asked him if he was a cardiologist and he said no. He said that I should "follow up" on it. I asked him if it showed I had a whole in my heart like my sister and he said no. I asked for a copy of it to take to a cardiologist and he made me a copy of all my test ER test results. The whole thing wasn't really sinking it..and at the moment I was kinda just so relieved that I had stopped vomiting that I wasn't too taken by the results. It wasn't really sinking in so I didn't ask some questions maybe I should have. I just took it and figured I'd look into it. Next night when I was better rested and thinking more clearly it hit me..and I started thinking "What the hell is THIS??".

I am glad to hear the #'s on the results look normal. I am so appreciative of your very informative response!
I am going to the cardiologist on Thurs. morning..in two day..I will let you know what he says.