Vectorcardiography in the diagnosis of postoperative myocardial infarction.
Fifty-three consecutive patients, mean age 63 years, undergoing either peripheral vascular reconstructive surgery (n = 40) or lobectomy for bronchial carcinoma (n = 13) were examined pre- and postoperatively with conventional electrocardiogram (ECG), vectorcardiogram (VCG) and estimation of serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, total lactic dehydrogenase and the heat-stable fraction of lactic dehydrogenase for the diagnosis of per/postoperative myocardial infarction (MI). Six patients (11%) developed signs of acute MI. In 2 patients whose ECG showed only unspecific changes, the VCG was decisive for the diagnosis. The serum enzyme values alone were of limited value in the diagnosis of per/postoperative MI.
D000368:Aged; D001984:Bronchial Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000601:surgery; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000209:etiology; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014656:Vascular Surgical Procedures; D014672:Vectorcardiography