Dr. Smith's ECG Blog

Instructive ECGs in Emergency Medicine Clinical Content

Associate Editors:
— Pendell Meyers & Ken Grauer (2018)
— Jesse McLaren & Emre Aslanger (2022)
— Willy Frick (2024) — Sam Ghali (2025)

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A Pathognomonic ECG. What is the Diagnosis?

An elderly patient was found down in her apartment with altered mental status.  A prehospital ECG was recorded and was identical to this one:

This is pathognomonic of what condition?

There is slow atrial fibrillation and pronounced J-waves (Osborn waves).

The patient’s temperature was 27 degrees Celsius.  There were no electrolyte abnormalities.  She was internally rewarmed with an intravascular catheter, treated for a UTI, and did well.

Here is her ECG after rewarming:

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