Objectives: Unlike “ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)”, there is a wide spectrum of ECG changes for Non-STEMI (NSTEMI) patients with varying prognostic implications. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of ECG changes in patients with positive high-sensitive troponins (hs-cTn) presenting with NSTEMI. Methodology: This Cross sectional study included 282 patients with positive hs-cTn diagnosed with NSTEMI. Standard 12-lead ECG was performed for all the patients. The clinical profile and ECG changes such as ST elevation in aVR, T wave inversion, and ST depression were noted. Results: Out of 282 patients, 68.1% (192) were male, mean age was 58.5 ± 10.6 years, 56.7% (160) were hypertensive, and 39.7% (112) were diabetic. The ECG was normal in 8.2% (23) while, 64.5% (182) had ST-depression, out of which 1.1% (2) had ST-depression of <1mm, 78% (142) had ST-depression of 1-2mm, and remaining 20.9% (38) had ST-depression of >2mm. T-wave inversions were observed in 45.7% (129). ST-elevation of ≥1 mm in lead aVR was noted in 19.1% (54) patients. Conclusion: A considerable number of NSTEMI patients with positive hs-cTn showed no specific ECG changes. ST-depression followed by T wave inversion and ST-elevation in aVR were the most commonly observed ECG findings in these patients. Considering the prognostic implications and association of these changes with the severity of diseases, prompt decision-making regarding invasive management strategy could be helpful in improving the outcomes of these patients.

Objectives: The presence of concomitant obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in patients with valvular heart disease (VHD) carries significant prognostic implications. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the frequency and severity of obstructive CAD in patients undergoing valvular heart surgery for rheumatic heart disease (RHD) at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Methodology: This descriptive study included patients of either gender, between 40 to 70 years of age, diagnosed with RHD on transthoracic echocardiography, and undergone valvular heart surgery. As a routine, pre-operative diagnostic coronary angiography was performed and the presence and severity of obstructive CAD were recorded. Results: Among 126 patients, 73% (92) were male, and the mean age was 48.3 ± 7.1 years. Smoking was the most common risk factor with a frequency of 22.2%, followed by hypertension (7.1%) and diabetes (4.8%). Obstructive CAD was observed in 24.6% with 19.4% single-vessel disease, 16.1% with two-vessel disease, and 64.5% with three-vessel disease. The presence of obstructive CAD was found to be positively associated with older age (p=0.040) and type of RHD (p=0.048). Conclusion: The obstructive concomitant CAD is prevalent in around 1/4th of patients, most of them with multi-vessel diseases, undergoing valvular heart surgery for rheumatic heart disease. It has been further observed that older age and the type of RHD are positively associated with the incidence of concomitant CAD in these patients.