EKGvectors

What lead is the most overlooked on the EKG?

 Answer: aVR

Lead aVR can provide some unique insight into 5 different conditions:

  1. Acute MI
  2. Pericarditis
  3. Tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) and TCA-like overdose
  4. AVRT in narrow complex tachycardias
  5. Differentiating VT from SVT with aberrancy in wide complex tachycardias by using the Vereckei criteria (possibly better than Brugada criteria)

It turns out that the aVR lead provides a lot of great information!

PV Card: Lead aVR on EKG


Adapted from 1–4
Go to the ALiEM Cards site for more resources.

See also:

1.
Williamson K, Mattu A, Plautz C, Binder A, Brady W. Electrocardiographic applications of lead aVR. Am J Emerg Med. 2006;24(7):864-874. [PubMed]
2.
Vereckei A, Duray G, Szénási G, Altemose G, Miller J. New algorithm using only lead aVR for differential diagnosis of wide QRS complex tachycardia. Heart Rhythm. 2008;5(1):89-98. [PubMed]
3.
Kireyev D, Arkhipov M, Zador S, Paris J, Boden W. Clinical utility of aVR-The neglected electrocardiographic lead. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol. 2010;15(2):175-180. [PubMed]
4.
Riera A, Ferreira C, Ferreira F, et al. Clinical value of lead aVR. Ann Noninvasive Electrocardiol. 2011;16(3):295-302. [PubMed]
Michelle Lin, MD

Michelle Lin, MD

ALiEM Founder and CEO
Professor and Digital Innovation Lab Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
University of California, San Francisco
Michelle Lin, MD

@M_Lin

Professor of Emerg Med at UCSF-Zuckerberg San Francisco General. Founder of ALiEM @aliemteam #PostitPearls https://t.co/7v7cgJqNEn
Michelle Lin, MD