Criteria for Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Left Bundle Branch Block

In the Emergency Department, the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) relies initially on a patient’s history and the 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). Establishing the diagnosis of AMI in the left bundle branch block (LBBB) is difficult and can result in delay of definitive treatment. In 1996, Sgarbossa found 3 ECG criteria to evaluate for AMI in patients with LBBB.

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Common Diagnostic Criteria for Left and Right Atrial Abnormalities

Left Atrial Abnormality

  • Prolonged P wave duration of >120 msec in lead II
  • Prominent notching of the P wave, usually most obvious in lead II, with an interval between the notches of >40 msec (p mitrale)
  • Ratio between the duration of the P wave in lead II and the duration of the PR segment of >1.6
  • Increased duration and depth of the terminal negative portion of the P wave in lead V1 (the P terminal force) so that the area subtended by it exceeds 0.04 mm-sec (Morris index)
  • Leftward shift of the mean P wave axis to between -30 and +45 degrees

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