Beyond the 12 lead: Review of the use of additional leads for the early electrocardiographic diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

Despite known limitations, the standard 12 lead ECG is the principal risk stratification device for patients presenting with chest pain to the ED. However, it has a sensitivity of less than 60% for MI. One reason for this is that the standard placement of chest leads fails to interrogate many areas of the myocardium. Various workers have addressed this problem through the use of additional leads or body surface mapping. Additional leads on the posterior and right thoracic surface have been shown to give additional information, which may be important to the emergency physician. This review demonstrates the need for additional leads in the acute setting and makes recommendations about the utility of using additional leads in the ED.