Utility of aVR electrocardiogram lead for identifying the culprit lesion in patient with acute coronary syndrome

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Background: The lead aVR is neglected electrocardiography (ECG) lead while interpreting various cardiac diseases including coronary artery disease (CAD). The aVR lead is a potentially useful tool in ECG in diagnosing and managing patients with CAD. Aim and Objectives: The aim is to study the usefulness of ECG in localizing the culprit vessel by coronary angiogram (CAG) in patients with the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and to find the relation of ECG findings, with regional wall motion abnormality (RWMA) and CAG profile. \Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional observational study done on patients admitted with the diagnosis of ACS. A total of 54 patients were included in this study satisfying the inclusion criteria presented with ACS. Results: A total of 54 patients (males: 55.7% and females: 46.3%) were enrolled fulfilling inclusion criteria of the study (male: 59.72 [±10.59], female: 55.24 [±11.93]). A total 59.36% of patients had resulting RWMA. About 33.33% of patients had single-vessel disease, 24.07% had double-vessel disease , and 18.52% had triple-vessel disease (TVD) with P = 0.081. A total 79.62% of patients ECG could able to diagnose CAD. About 100% of patients with proximal left anterior descending (LAD) lesion 85.71% with LMCA, 40% with TVD had ST elevation in aVR lead. About 66.67% of patients with the right coronary artery (RCA) and 50% with left circumflex infarction (LCx) lesion had ST depression in aVR lead. About 59.36% had RWMA on echocardiogram. Conclusions: The presence of ST elevation in aVR indicates a culprit lesion in the proximal segment of LAD or LMCA. The absence ST elevation in aVR excludes the left main coronary artery as the underlying cause in the context of anterior wall ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). ST elevation in aVR is valuable for distinguishing proximal from distal lesions in the LAD in anterior wall STEMI. ST-segment depression in lead aVR is valuable for differentiating RCA from those with LCx in the inferior STEMI. Echocardiography findings aid triage for the management of the patient with ACS.