Volume 10, Issue 8: Posterior myocardial infarction

Posterior MI – starting from the back

You are on standby dispensing some pearls of wisdom to a paramedic student when the next call comes through – a 68 year old female who has called saying she has collapsed in the hall and can’t get up. On arrival the patient manages to open the door before collapsing again, you start basic observations as well as a 12 lead but what is the best way to continue your assessment?

CPD benefit

While coronary heart disease claims many lives each year, isolated posterior myocardial infarctions (PMI) are rare and they are difficult to identify due to their location. This article looks at the ECG changes and the clinical symptoms you might expect to find in patients PMI as well as potential risk factors to take into account.

There is also guidance on assessment and management where there is a suspicion of posterior wall involvement including treatments that might be considered. Identifying this condition might give vital early warning when transferring the patient to hospital and ensure transfer to an appropriate centre.

Assessment Answers and References

You can check your answers to the quiz and download the references for this article by clicking the links below:

Standby CPD Volume 10 – Assessment Answers

Standby CPD – Vol. 10 No. 8 – References