ECG Patterns of Occlusion Myocardial Infarction: A Narrative Review

Last updated 2/20/25

The traditional STEMI/NSTEMI classification of acute coronary syndrome has long been used to guide the urgency of reperfusion therapy, but emerging research suggests it may fail to identify a significant subset of patients with acute coronary occlusion (ACO) . A recent narrative review by Ricci et al. highlights high-risk ECG patterns that can indicate ACO even in the absence of classic STEMI criteria. This shift in perspective can improve early diagnosis and intervention, potentially leading to better patient outcomes. In this post, I will break down the key ECG patterns described in this paper and explain their significance.