ST elevation
Also calledSTE · ST-segment elevation · ST segment elevation
Definition
Upward displacement of the ST segment above the isoelectric (TP or PR) baseline, measured at the J point; when due to ischemia it reflects injury currents from acutely injured myocardium, usually from acute coronary occlusion. The Fourth Universal Definition of MI and the 2009 AHA/ACCF/HRS statement set the ischemic threshold as new J-point elevation in at least two contiguous leads of at least 1 mm (0.1 mV) in all leads except V2 to V3, where the cutoff is at least 2 mm (0.2 mV) in men aged 40 or older, 2.5 mm (0.25 mV) in men under 40, and 1.5 mm (0.15 mV) in women of any age; the Fourth Universal Definition applies these criteria in the absence of left ventricular hypertrophy and bundle branch block. Nonischemic causes include early repolarization, pericarditis, left ventricular hypertrophy, left bundle branch block, ventricular pacing, and the Brugada pattern.
Sources
- Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al. Fourth universal definition of myocardial infarction (2018). Circulation. 2018;138(20):e618-e651. doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0000000000000617
- Wagner GS, Macfarlane P, Wellens H, et al. AHA/ACCF/HRS recommendations for the standardization and interpretation of the electrocardiogram: part VI: acute ischemia/infarction. Circulation. 2009;119(10):e262-e270. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191098
- Rautaharju PM, Surawicz B, Gettes LS. AHA/ACCF/HRS recommendations for the standardization and interpretation of the electrocardiogram: part IV: the ST segment, T and U waves, and the QT interval. Circulation. 2009;119(10):e241-e250. doi.org/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.108.191096
- O'Gara PT, Kushner FG, Ascheim DD, et al. 2013 ACCF/AHA guideline for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Circulation. 2013;127(4):e362-e425. doi.org/10.1161/CIR.0b013e3182742cf6
Last reviewed 2 October 2026. Every definition in the EKG Dictionary cites the guideline, consensus statement or original paper it comes from.