Are Peaked T Waves Dangerous?

For example, tall, peaked T waves in a patient who missed three runs of dialysis are likely to represent hyperkalemia, while tall “hyperacute” T waves in a patient complaining of the acute onset of crushing, sub-sternal chest pain could represent the acute onset of transmural myocardial ischemia.

What does a peaked T wave indicate?

Narrow and tall peaked T wave (A) is an early sign of hyperkalemia. It is unusual for T waves to be taller than 5 mm in limb leads and taller than 10 mm in chest leads. Hyperkalemia should be suspect if these limits are exceeded in more than one lead.

How do you treat peaked T waves?

The most important initial treatment that should be administered if EKG changes are seen is administration of calcium gluconate or calcium chloride. Some emergency medicine practitioners advocate for calcium administration with peaked T-waves alone, while others will only treat if additional findings are seen.