Prediction of improvement in left ventricular function during a 1-year follow-up after acute myocardial infarction by the degree of acute resolution of electrocardiographic changes.
OBJECTIVE
Reperfusion therapy results in better left ventricle (LV) function in cases of successful myocardial reperfusion; however, insufficient reperfusion or reocclusion of the infarct-related artery is associated with LV dysfunction. This study was proposed to determine whether the rate of ECG stage dynamics, after mechanical, thrombolytic, or spontaneous recanalization, is a predictor of improvement in LV function.


METHODS
Twenty-seven consecutive patients, observed for 1 year, were divided into group A (11, change rate of > or =2 ECG stages per 2 days), group B (13, no rapid change), and cases with reocclusion (3).


RESULTS
Clinical and radiographic signs of heart failure tended to decrease in group A but tended to increase in other cases. Echocardiographic dyssynergic score decreased, and LV ejection fraction increased only in group A: 4.3 +/- 1.2 vs 2.7 +/- 1.5, P = .04, and 42.0 +/- 4.8 vs 46.0 +/- 8.3, P = .049, respectively; in group B, the values were 3.4 +/- 2.4 vs 3.4 +/- 2.2 and 44.0 +/- 6.9 vs 43.8 +/- 9.3, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Rapid ECG stage changes predict follow-up improvement in LV function.
Kalinauskiene
Egle
E
Institute of Cardiology of Kaunas University of Medicine, Kaunas, Lithuania. eglekalin@yahoo.com <eglekalin@yahoo.com>
Naudziunas
Albinas
A
Navickas
Ramunas
R
Vaicekavicius
Edvardas
E
Pilvinis
Vidas
V
Jankauskiene
Laima
L
Vencloviene
Jone
J
Bernotiene
Ausra
A
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003936:Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion / Q000379:methods*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome