Inferior Infarct results on ECG for 25 y/o former stroke patient

[match3]

This past July my son experienced visual disturbances, nausea, numbness in his legs and feet, and seemed to be favoring his right side.  Thinking he might be having another stroke, he went to the ER.  (History:  My son, now age 25, had a stroke at the age of 22.  Through testing, it was discovered he had a 1" ASD, which was repaired with an amplatzer septal occluder.   He also has a history of debilitating migraines).  The diagnosis in the ER was a migraine headache, which his neurologist confirmed could present the symptoms he had.  

I just recently requested his records from that visit and discovered an abnormal ECG - Inferior infarct - age undetermined, and his blood chemistry for Troponin I was 0.04 (range indicates Inconclusive for Myocardial damage).   While in the ER, no one discussed the results of the ECG with neither my son or a family member, nor did they discuss the blood chemistry results. We are in the process of getting a referral to a cardiologist to follow up on this ECG.  From what I've been able to determine from checking the web is that inferior infarct indicates damage to the lower left part of the heart.  

I'm not an alarmist but rather a realist.  What are the chances that this was a false reading?  Would the amplatzer device cause a negative reading?  Or, considering his past stroke history and the symptoms he presented, along with the blood chemistry reading on Troponin I, what are the chances he may have actually had a heart attack?  

[kenkeith]

QUOTE "I just recently requested his records from that visit and discovered an abnormal ECG - Inferior infarct - age undetermined, and his blood chemistry for Troponin I was 0.04 (range indicates Inconclusive for Myocardial damage).   While in the ER, no one discussed the results of the ECG with neither my son or a family member, nor did they discuss the blood chemistry results. We are in the process of getting a referral to a cardiologist to follow up on this ECG.  From what I've been able to determine from checking the web is that inferior infarct indicates damage to the lower left part of the heart".

Has the doctor indicated a subacute myocardia infraction because troponin1 is a blood marker for heart muscle damage and falls off after 1-2 weeks to a <0.4?  The reading is inconclusive as 0.04 is borderline and would not indicate an acute MI..

An ECG is not very reliable source for diagnosing heart tissue damage.  More reliable is an echocardiogram that can visualize heart wall movement. You are correct an infract is tissue damage.  If there is damage, sometimes the heart cells are not necrotic but are dormant and can revitalized with therapy especially if the cells are hibernating due to lack of oxygen/blood.  Also, the location of cell damage is important and how extensive.  Many individuals have heart cell damage in the lower portion of the heart and has very little effect on heart wall contractions for pumping blood.

[ed34]

With regards to the stroke, did your Son have a heart problem at the time the stroke occurred. Quite a few strokes are related to the heart where a piece of material breaks free from the valves or arteries. This can be caused by a sudden tachycardia event or even just a piece of plaque breaking free in a coronary artery. I would look into the records of his stroke information and the recent ecg to see if the two tie up.

[PikaPika88]

ER doctors only expert in saving life in the emergency case.  They are very poor in diagnoses the disease.   They are more treating in symptoms only rather than the root cause.  

Take those copies of report and consult a physician.  Might ask your GP refer him to a cardiologist.  Start from there, they might want him to run some more tests and
compare to the present reports.  I would say, the ECG splitting the result quite match the Troponin I result.  I'm not a doctor.  I was misdiagnosed by an ER doctor during a heart attack.  I can share you situation here.

  

[LindaTX]

You really should present this question on the "ask the doc" forum so you can get an expert opinion.