Where Oh Where is that MI?

I am going to let you guys in on a super easy way to determine where your patient is having his MI based on your 12-lead EKG. Please recall that in order to determine right-ventricular infarction you’d need to do a reverse EKG, but that’s another story for another day. Not sure if you need this much detail for your NCLEX (I somehow think not), but you’ll definitely want it for CCRN, clinicals and on-the-job awesomeness.

So, here it is…it may be a little clunky, but if you say it enough times it becomes quite catchy! The main point is that it’s easy to remember and even easier to use. “Big Lie, Little Lie, Big Asp, Little Asp, All.” Of course, if you prefer to say “ass” be my guest but I wouldn’t want to alienate any of my more conservative readers 😉

And here it is for downloading as a PDF: EKG Chart

The chart also shows you which vessel has been affected…this is helpful in knowing which dysrhythmias and other Really Bad Things to look for such as Mobitz II or left ventricular failure.

Obviously, a chart like this makes a load more sense after taking a 12-lead EKG class…something I highly recommend. If you’re in the Sacramento, California area I can wholeheartedly say the courses at Continuing Education Consortium are excellent…and I am sure there are plenty of available options out there in the rest of the world.

Good luck, and be safe out there!

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