title: Noninvasive and invasive testing after myocardial infarction.
abstract: Recurrent myocardial ischemia, moderate to marked depression of left ventricular systolic function, and late-occurring or recurrent cardiac arrhythmia indicate increased risk for patients with acute myocardial infarction. Some patients, on the basis of high risk and/or unsuccessful response, will be early candidates for early aggressive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Others will have clinical indicators of increased risk during hospitalization that warrant diagnostic coronary arteriographic assessment before discharge. Still other patients with low risk clinical characteristics can be further stratified by predischarge or early postdischarge stress testing for myocardial ischemia, left ventricular functional reserve, and/or likely occurrence of arrhythmias. Some stratified to low risk patients will be treated only with secondary prevention measures. Others at higher risk will undergo more aggressive evaluation and subsequent medical or surgical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: O'Rourke
mesh_terms: D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D013610:Tachycardia / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology