Lateral Infarct Age Undetermined [updated] Jun 2026

| | Normal Variant / Mimic | |-------------------------------|----------------------------| | Q waves in both limb leads (I, aVL) and precordial leads (V5-V6) | Septal Q waves (narrow, <0.04s, in V5-V6 alone) | | Associated with regional wall motion abnormality on echo | No wall motion abnormality | | History of CAD or equivalent (DM, CKD, PAD) | Young, athletic, low pretest probability | | Loss of R wave + Q wave in same lead | Isolated Q wave with normal R wave |

This is a common automated interpretation. It means there are Q waves in the lateral leads (I, aVL, V5-V6) without concurrent ST-segment elevation or T-wave inversion to suggest an acute event. lateral infarct age undetermined

An ECG report reads: "Lateral infarct, age undetermined." Now what? If the wall is moving normally, the "infarct"

However, doctors rarely consider these automated machine interpretations as a final diagnosis because they are notoriously prone to "false positives" caused by lead placement or normal heart variations. Key Takeaways for Your Review If the wall is moving normally

: This is the "gold standard" follow-up. It uses ultrasound to look at the heart muscle moving in real-time. If the wall is moving normally, the "infarct" was likely a false alarm on the ECG.

Don't trust the machine. Manually confirm:

The term "age undetermined" (or "age indeterminate") is used when the ECG shows evidence of a completed infarct without signs of ongoing, acute injury.