title: Arterial counterpulsation in continuing myocardial ischaemia after acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Twenty-six patients underwent arterial counterpulsation for refractory heart failure without shock complicating acute myocardial infarction. Patients were divided into a group of 12 with continuing myocardial ischaemia, evidenced by anginal pain associated with abnormal ST segment elevation, and a group of 14 without continuing ischaemia. Clinical features (apart from pain) and prognostic indices were similar in the two groups when counterpulsation was started but short- and long-term results were different. Hospital survival was 92 per cent (11/12) and 43 per cent (6/14), respectively, in the groups with and without ischaemia and four-year survival was 73 per cent and 7 per cent. Counterpulsation is of greatest value in acute infarction when used to relieve myocardial ischaemia.
mesh_terms: D001243:Assisted Circulation; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007423:Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumping; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*