Wellens Syndrome
OVERVIEW
- Wellens Syndrome = high grade LAD or LM coronary lesion
CRITERIA
- history of chest pain
- chest pain with a normal looking ECG (pseudonormalisation)
- minimally elevated cardiac enzymes
- no pathological precordial Q waves or loss of R wave progression
- pain free ST elevation in V2 and V3 (minimally elevated)
- pain free symmetrical deep T wave inversion or biphasic T waves in V2-V5
Two types
Type A – 25%
- pain free: biphasic T waves in the anterior leads
- during pain: paradoxical pseudonormalisation of ST segments
- needs to be recognized because it will cause anterior MI within 9 days (if not dealt to by PCI or CABG)
Type B – 75%
- deep symmetrical T wave inversion in I and aVL
- chest leads: 1mm of ST elevation
References and Links
- ECG Library – Wellens Syndrome
- Eponymictionary – Hein Wellens
Critical Care
Compendium
Chris is an Intensivist and ECMO specialist at the Alfred ICU in Melbourne. He is also a Clinical Adjunct Associate Professor at Monash University. He is a co-founder of the Australia and New Zealand Clinician Educator Network (ANZCEN) and is the Lead for the ANZCEN Clinician Educator Incubator programme. He is on the Board of Directors for the Intensive Care Foundation and is a First Part Examiner for the College of Intensive Care Medicine. He is an internationally recognised Clinician Educator with a passion for helping clinicians learn and for improving the clinical performance of individuals and collectives.
After finishing his medical degree at the University of Auckland, he continued post-graduate training in New Zealand as well as Australia’s Northern Territory, Perth and Melbourne. He has completed fellowship training in both intensive care medicine and emergency medicine, as well as post-graduate training in biochemistry, clinical toxicology, clinical epidemiology, and health professional education.
He is actively involved in in using translational simulation to improve patient care and the design of processes and systems at Alfred Health. He coordinates the Alfred ICU’s education and simulation programmes and runs the unit’s education website, INTENSIVE. He created the ‘Critically Ill Airway’ course and teaches on numerous courses around the world. He is one of the founders of the FOAM movement (Free Open-Access Medical education) and is co-creator of litfl.com, the RAGE podcast, the Resuscitology course, and the SMACC conference.
His one great achievement is being the father of three amazing children.
On Twitter, he is @precordialthump.
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