About the Podcast
This Week in Cardiology is hosted by Dr. John Mandrola, a practicing cardiologist, writer, and educator known for his sharp commentary on clinical studies and cardiovascular care. The podcast highlights recent research and real-world cases that shape modern cardiology practice.
Summary of the Episode
In this episode, Dr. Mandrola reviews a study comparing physicians to PMcardio’s Queen of Hearts™ AI ECG model for identifying STEMI equivalents and mimics in critical ECGs. Conducted in San Antonio across community hospitals and EDs, the study presented 18 complex ECG cases to emergency physicians, cardiologists, and the AI.
- Results: Physicians (both EM doctors and cardiologists) achieved ~66% accuracy, while the AI reached 89% accuracy in determining when to activate the cath lab.
- The AI outperformed clinicians, particularly in subtle cases like de Winter pattern, transient STEMI, hyperacute T-waves, and bundle branch block presentations.
- Dr. Mandrola emphasized that while no one misses obvious STEMIs, it’s the subtle cases where AI can make a life-saving difference.
“No one misses the 3–4 mm tombstone ST elevations. It’s the subtle STEMI mimics that are tough. If you’re a patient with an occluded artery but not a conclusive ECG, you hope either for luck, a master ECG reader, or a really good AI algorithm.”
— Dr. John Mandrola, This Week in Cardiology
🎧 Listen to the episode: Official page | Spotify | Apple Podcasts
