Care priorities
Assessment and diagnosis
Patients presenting with the clinical signs of STEMI need a rapid targeted
assessment to confirm diagnosis ( see Chapter 3 for full details). This will
include the following.
Physiological assessment using the ABCDE approach
This approach outlined in Wood and Rhodes (2003) provides a systematic
way of identifying immediate or potentially life - threatening abnormalities.
Assessment of airway, breathing, circulation, neurological defi cit (disability)
and exposure will help to prioritise care and provide diagnosis ( see Chapter
4 ). It should be noted that during assessment of circulation, blood pressure
and pulse should be checked in both arms (a deficit may indicate aortic dissection)
(Jowett and Thompson, 2007 ).
Cardiac history and physical examination
This should focus on the cardiovascular system (as detailed in Chapter 3 ).
This may not reveal any obvious clinical signs but will help to rule out differential
diagnosis. This stage of the assessment should include:
• history taking, including account of the events leading up to admission
• the identifi cation of any risk factors for cardiac disease ( see Chapter 4 )
• inspection, which may reveal hyperlipidemia, peripheral vascular disease,
raised jugular venous pressure (JVP) in right ventricular infarct or existing
heart failure
• palpation, which may reveal apex beat displaced outwards and valve
abnormalities including mitral regurgitation secondary to papillary muscle
dysfunction or rupture and tricuspid regurgitation in right ventricular
infarction
• auscultation, which may reveal the presence of a new murmur. The presence
of a signifi cant new murmur could suggest valvular dysfunction, such
as acute mitral regurgitation or even ventricular septal rupture.
Recording of a 12 - l ead ECG
This should be performed immediately on arrival at hospital. ST elevation of
1 mm or more in two or more adjacent limb leads and 2 mm or more in two
adjacent precordial (chest) leads is indicative of STEMI, as is a new conductive
defect such as a new left bundle branch block (LBBB) (Conover, 2003 ).
Posterior infarction often presents as ST depression in leads V 1 and V 2 (mirroring
posterior wall ST elevation). A posterior lead ECG (utilising V 7 , V 8 and
V 9 ) may be recorded to confirm diagnosis. A patient presenting with ST
elevation in the inferior limb leads will require a V 4 R to identify right ventricular
involvement (see below).