I now have comprehensive information from multiple authoritative textbooks (Braunwald's, Harrison's, Tintinalli's, Fuster & Hurst's, Goldman-Cecil, Ganong's). Let me compose a detailed, well-organized answer covering 10 heart diseases with their ECG findings.
10 Heart Diseases and Their ECG Findings
Here is a thorough breakdown of 10 major cardiac conditions, each explained with its pathophysiology, clinical features, and characteristic ECG pattern.
1. ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI)
What it is: Complete occlusion of a coronary artery causes transmural (full-thickness) myocardial ischemia and necrosis. It is a medical emergency requiring immediate reperfusion.
ECG findings (evolving sequence):
| Phase | ECG Changes |
|---|
| Hyperacute (minutes) | Tall, peaked "hyperacute" T waves |
| Acute (hours) | ST-segment elevation ≥1 mm in ≥2 contiguous limb leads, or ≥2 mm in precordial leads; reciprocal ST depression in opposite leads |
| Established | Pathological Q waves (width ≥40 ms, depth ≥25% of R wave) develop |
| Reperfusion/Resolution | ST normalizes; T-wave inversions persist |
Lead localization:
- Inferior MI (RCA): II, III, aVF - with reciprocal depression in I, aVL
- Anterior MI (LAD): V1-V4
- Lateral MI (LCx): I, aVL, V5-V6
- Posterior MI: dominant R wave in V1-V2, ST depression anteriorly (mirror image)
"Profound ST elevation or depression in multiple leads usually indicates very severe ischemia. The division of acute myocardial infarction into ST-segment elevation and non-ST elevation types is useful since the consistent efficacy of primary PCI in STEMI makes prompt identification imperative." - Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 22E
Key pearl: Right ventricular infarction accompanies inferior STEMI - recognized by ST elevation in right-sided leads (V3R, V4R). This changes management (avoid nitrates and diuretics).
2. Non-ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (NSTEMI) & Unstable Angina
What it is: Partial occlusion of a coronary artery causing subendocardial ischemia. Troponin rises in NSTEMI but not in unstable angina.
ECG findings:
- ST depression (horizontal or downsloping) ≥0.5 mm in ≥2 contiguous leads - this is the hallmark
- T-wave inversions - particularly deep, symmetric inversions in precordial leads suggest proximal LAD disease (Wellens syndrome pattern)
- No pathological Q waves (distinguishes from STEMI)
- ECG may be completely normal in up to 6% of cases
"The diagnosis of NSTEMI depends on abnormal elevation of cardiac biomarkers but may include ECG changes not meeting criteria for STEMI." - Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine
Wellens Syndrome (critical LAD stenosis): Biphasic or deeply inverted T waves in V2-V3 during pain-free period - indicates critical proximal LAD stenosis about to cause a large anterior MI.
3. Atrial Fibrillation (AF)
What it is: Chaotic, disorganized electrical activity in the atria producing an irregular ventricular response. Most common sustained arrhythmia, affecting >33 million people worldwide.
ECG findings:
- Absent P waves - replaced by irregular fibrillatory baseline ("f waves") at 350-600 bpm, best seen in V1
- Irregularly irregular RR intervals - the hallmark finding; no two consecutive RR intervals are equal
- Narrow QRS (unless aberrant conduction or bundle branch block)
- Ventricular rate typically 100-160 bpm if uncontrolled
Rate categories:
- Rapid AF: ventricular rate >100 bpm
- Controlled AF: ventricular rate 60-100 bpm
- AF with WPW: extremely rapid, irregular, wide-complex - life-threatening (avoid AV nodal agents)
4. Atrial Flutter
What it is: A macro-reentrant circuit in the right atrium, typically cycling at 250-350 bpm. Often converts to AF or sinus rhythm.
ECG findings:
- Classic "sawtooth" flutter waves (F waves) at ~300 bpm, best seen in leads II, III, aVF
- Regular or regularly-irregular ventricular response
- Most commonly 2:1 conduction (ventricular rate ~150 bpm) - always consider flutter when rate is 150 bpm
- QRS usually narrow
Key pearl: A ventricular rate of exactly 150 bpm with narrow QRS should always raise suspicion for 2:1 atrial flutter - look carefully for flutter waves buried in QRS or T waves.
5. Complete (Third-Degree) Heart Block
What it is: No impulses conduct from atria to ventricles through the AV node. Atria and ventricles beat independently - "AV dissociation." Causes include ischemia (inferior MI), degeneration (Lev/Lenegre disease), drugs, infection (Lyme carditis), and infiltrative disease.
ECG findings (from Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine):
| Feature | Finding |
|---|
| P waves | Regular, independent atrial rate (usually 60-100 bpm) |
| QRS complexes | Regular, slow escape rhythm |
| PR interval | Variable - no consistent relationship between P and QRS |
| QRS morphology | Narrow if junctional escape (40-60 bpm); wide and bizarre if ventricular escape (<40 bpm) |
- AV dissociation is the defining feature: P waves "march through" QRS complexes with no fixed relationship
- Junctional escape (narrow QRS) is more stable than ventricular escape (wide QRS)
- Often symptomatic: syncope, presyncope, fatigue; requires permanent pacemaker
6. Ventricular Tachycardia (VT) and Ventricular Fibrillation (VF)
What it is: VT - rapid, dangerous rhythm originating below the bundle of His. VF - chaotic ventricular electrical activity causing cardiac arrest. Common causes include post-MI scar, cardiomyopathy, channelopathies (Long QT, Brugada).
VT ECG findings:
- Wide QRS (≥120 ms) at rate >100 bpm (usually 140-220 bpm)
- AV dissociation (P waves at different rate, not related to QRS) - most specific finding
- Fusion beats and capture beats - pathognomonic when present
- Brugada's criteria for VT: RS interval >100 ms in any precordial lead, AV dissociation, QRS morphology not fitting typical LBBB or RBBB pattern
- Axis may be markedly abnormal (northwest axis "no man's land")
VF ECG findings:
- Completely chaotic, irregular deflections with no discernible P waves, QRS, or T waves
- Coarse VF: large amplitude deflections (early, more likely to respond to defibrillation)
- Fine VF: small amplitude deflections (late, worse prognosis)
Note: Treat any wide-complex tachycardia as VT until proven otherwise.
7. Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) Syndrome
What it is: An accessory pathway (Bundle of Kent) bypasses the AV node, causing ventricular pre-excitation. Can cause dangerous tachyarrhythmias. Found in ~1-3/1000 people.
ECG findings (the WPW triad in sinus rhythm):
| Feature | Finding |
|---|
| PR interval | Short (<120 ms) - bypass tract conducts faster than AV node |
| Delta wave | Slurred upstroke of the QRS - slow conduction through ventricular myocardium before normal conduction takes over |
| QRS duration | Widened (≥120 ms) due to delta wave |
- Secondary ST-T wave changes discordant to delta wave
- Pseudo-infarction pattern: delta waves can mimic Q waves (especially inferior or lateral leads)
- During SVT: orthodromic AVRT = narrow QRS, retrograde P after QRS; antidromic AVRT = very wide, bizarre QRS (difficult to distinguish from VT)
- AF with WPW: irregular, very rapid (>250 bpm), bizarre wide-complex tachycardia - life-threatening
"Baseline ECG abnormalities during normal sinus rhythm may reveal a combination of a short PR interval and a delta wave." - Symptom to Diagnosis, 4th Edition
8. Long QT Syndrome (LQTS)
What it is: Delayed ventricular repolarization, either congenital (channelopathy - LQT1-15 subtypes) or acquired (drugs, electrolyte disturbances). Predisposes to torsades de pointes (TdP) and sudden cardiac death.
ECG findings:
- Prolonged QTc interval - primary finding
- QTc >450 ms in males
- QTc >460 ms in females (QTc >500 ms = high-risk for TdP)
- Torsades de pointes (TdP): Polymorphic VT where QRS complexes appear to "twist" around the isoelectric line, at 200-250 bpm - hallmark arrhythmia of LQTS
- T-wave morphology varies by subtype:
- LQT1: Broad-based T wave with long T-wave duration
- LQT2: Notched or biphasic T waves
- LQT3: Late-onset T wave with prolonged isoelectric ST segment (triggered by bradycardia/sleep)
- U waves may be prominent
"Long QT syndrome is characterized by prolongation of the corrected QT interval, syncope, and sudden death caused by torsades de pointes and ventricular fibrillation." - Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine
Common acquired causes: Quinidine, sotalol, amiodarone, macrolides, antipsychotics, hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia.
9. Brugada Syndrome
What it is: A sodium channelopathy (SCN5A gene mutation in ~25% of cases) causing characteristic ECG changes and high risk of sudden cardiac death from VF, predominantly in young Asian males. Often manifests at night or during fever.
ECG findings:
- Type 1 (diagnostic - "coved" pattern): Coved ST-segment elevation ≥2 mm followed by negative T wave in V1-V2 (and occasionally V3); often with incomplete RBBB morphology - this is the only diagnostic pattern
- Type 2 ("saddle-back" pattern): Saddle-back ST elevation ≥2 mm in V1-V2; not diagnostic alone, but can convert to Type 1 with sodium-channel blockers (e.g., flecainide, ajmaline challenge)
- Type 3: Saddle-back or coved ST elevation <1 mm - non-diagnostic
"Brugada syndrome is a congenital sudden death syndrome involving characteristic electrocardiographic abnormalities. These typically include ST-segment elevation (unrelated to ischemia, electrolyte abnormalities, or structural heart disease) in the right precordial (V1 to V3) leads of the ECG." - Braunwald's Heart Disease
Key pearls:
- ECG pattern can be intermittent - fever, autonomic tone, and sodium-channel blockers can unmask it
- A pseudo-RBBB morphology: NOT true RBBB but mimics it
- Definitive treatment: implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
10. Pericarditis (Acute)
What it is: Inflammation of the pericardium, usually viral (Coxsackievirus, echovirus), also autoimmune, post-MI (Dressler's), or idiopathic. ECG changes reflect epicardial inflammation.
ECG findings (classic 4-stage evolution):
| Stage | Timing | ECG Finding |
|---|
| Stage 1 | Days 1-2 | Diffuse ST elevation (saddle-shaped/concave upward) in nearly all leads except aVR and V1; PR depression in most leads (PR elevation in aVR) |
| Stage 2 | Days 3-7 | ST returns to baseline; PR depression persists |
| Stage 3 | Weeks 1-3 | Diffuse T-wave inversions (after ST has normalized, unlike MI where inversion occurs while ST is still elevated) |
| Stage 4 | Weeks-months | ECG normalizes |
Key distinguishing features from STEMI:
- ST elevation in pericarditis is diffuse (not localized to one territory) and concave upward ("saddle-shaped")
- PR segment depression - unique to pericarditis (reflects atrial inflammation), most obvious in lead II
- No reciprocal ST depression (except in aVR and V1)
- No pathological Q waves
- Spodick's sign: Downsloping TP segment in early stages (present in ~80% of cases)
Quick Reference Summary
| # | Condition | Hallmark ECG Feature |
|---|
| 1 | STEMI | Localized convex ST elevation + Q waves |
| 2 | NSTEMI/UA | ST depression, T-wave inversions, no Q waves |
| 3 | Atrial Fibrillation | No P waves, irregularly irregular RR |
| 4 | Atrial Flutter | Sawtooth F waves ~300 bpm, 2:1 block |
| 5 | Complete Heart Block | AV dissociation, slow escape rhythm |
| 6 | VT / VF | Wide QRS tachycardia / chaotic deflections |
| 7 | WPW Syndrome | Short PR + delta wave + wide QRS |
| 8 | Long QT Syndrome | QTc >450/460 ms + torsades de pointes |
| 9 | Brugada Syndrome | Coved ST elevation in V1-V2 (Type 1) |
| 10 | Acute Pericarditis | Diffuse concave ST elevation + PR depression |
Sources: Braunwald's Heart Disease 2-Vol Set (Cardiovascular Medicine); Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine 22E (2025); Tintinalli's Emergency Medicine, Comprehensive Study; Fuster and Hurst's The Heart, 15th Edition; Goldman-Cecil Medicine International Edition; Symptom to Diagnosis, 4th Edition; Ganong's Review of Medical Physiology, 26th Edition.