As a student I'm always intrigue by the clinical utility of an ECG. So much information about a patient's heart can be extracted from an ECG, decision for reperfusion therapy based on ST-elevation on ECG, etc….
My view on interpreting an ECG is like reading a chest X ray; it should be approached in an orderly fashion, a common error that we often do (including myself) is relying on pattern recognition instead of a stepwise approach. Collecting basic data from an ECG in a step-by-step fashion, serves a similar purpose as taking a detail history and physical exam from a patient with chest pain.
I endeavoured to collect interesting ECGs when I was a fourth year student; it has now become one of my hobbies (ask my colleagues about it......). I encourage you to read ECG of patients in the ward, A&E.....as often as you can. I hope my collection will provide you further opportunity to practice your skills on reading ECGs. If you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to drop me a line.
Samuel Ho
1 + 3 = 2
Happy ECG reading
