title: The incidence and timing of major arrhythmias following successful primary angioplasty for acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The potential benefits of direct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) on malignant arrhythmias in the hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction have not yet been established.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively investigated the incidence and timing of major arrhythmias occurring during direct PTCA and within 24 hours of mechanical reperfusion in 90 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing successful direct PTCA within 12 hours of symptom onset.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ventricular fibrillation and complete atrioventricular block occurred exclusively during direct PTCA and both resolved in the catheterization laboratory. Holter monitoring showed that ventricular tachyarrhythmias, such as runs of more than 3 extrasystoles, were detectable only during the first 8 hours after direct PTCA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our group of patients undergoing successful direct PTCA, no in-hospital life-threatening arrhythmias occurred after this procedure.
authors.affiliation: Catheterization Laboratory and Coronary Care Unit, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giglioli
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Margheri
authors.forename: Serafina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valente
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comeglio
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lazzeri
authors.forename: Salvatore M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Tania
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chechi
authors.forename: Delio
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tedeschi
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Falai
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Becherini
authors.forename: Gian Franco
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gensini
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors; D014693:Ventricular Fibrillation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology