Emergency Medicine Cases - By McLaren J
Peer Reviewed and edited by Helman A. June 2020
"In this ECG Cases blog we learn from 9 patients with potential hyperkalemia...
Take home points on ECG findings in hyperkalemia
- The ECG cannot rule out hyperkalemia, but significant hyperkalemia often produces multiple changes: survey every aspect of the ECG, especially heart rate (bradycardia, junctional rhythm), electrical conduction (PR prolongation or loss of P waves, QRS prolongation, pacemaker delays), and ST/T waves (Brugada phenocopy, peaked T waves that are narrow/pointy)
- Consider empiric calcium for multiple signs of hyperkalemia, especially unstable bradycardia, slow or regular “AF”, or “VT” which is slow or very wide"