Acute anterior myocardial infarction followed by acute inferoposterior myocardial infarction: the case of the necrotic QRS counterpoise

A case of a 55-year-old man who suffered an acute anterior myocardial infarction (MI) followed by an acute inferoposterior MI 1 month later, which led to his demise from cardiogenic shock, is presented. The electrocardiogram after his second MI resulted in profound decrease in the amplitude of the QRS complexes and cancellation of the features of the previous anterior MI (necrotic QRS counterpoise). The implications of these electrocardiogram alterations, particularly when using this modality in QRS scoring systems for estimation of infarct size or left ventricular function, are discussed.