Arterial Pulse Tapping Artifact Mimicking Acute Coronary Syndrome on Electrocardiogram
Mriganka Nerkar1, Katharine Rainer2, Jesse Frye2
1Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York, USA.
Introduction:
Arterial pulse tapping artifact is a deceptive electrocardiographic artifact caused by mechanical movement of an electrode from arterial pulsation, which can produce pseudo-ischemic ST-T abnormalities.
Case Presentation:
An 88-year-old woman presented with substernal chest discomfort that was burning in quality and radiated to her back. Vital signs were stable. Physical examination was benign.
Discussion:
The presence of bizarre, nonphysiologic ST-T wave distortion, which spares a single limb lead, allowed for prompt recognition of arterial pulse tapping artifact. Recognizing this pattern-and confirmation with electrode repositioning-prevented misdiagnosis of acute coronary syndrome and inappropriate invasive angiography.
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