Which leads are associated with ST elevation in a STEMI diagnosis?

In the context of ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), certain ECG leads are specifically associated with visualizing ST segment elevation, which indicates myocardial injury. Leads V1-V6 are particularly significant because they represent the anterior and lateral walls of the heart, areas that are often affected during a STEMI, especially when the left coronary artery is involved.

When there’s significant ST elevation in V1-V6, it typically indicates occlusion in the left anterior descending artery, which supplies blood to the anterior part of the heart. This is critical for diagnosing a STEMI since clinical decisions around interventions, such as percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) or thrombolysis, depend on identifying the area of the heart that is at risk due to reduced blood flow.

The other options either do not encompass the correct leads for a comprehensive assessment of STEMI or focus on leads that, while they may show changes in some STEMI cases, do not provide the same consistent and critical information regarding anterior ST elevation. Therefore, V1-V6 is the correct choice to highlight when determining areas of ST elevation indicative of a STEMI.