title: Ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction: clinical characteristics and contemporary outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this paper was to study the patient characteristics and contemporary short- and long-term outcome in patients with postinfarct ventricular septal rupture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on patient files and register data we performed a review of 64 consecutive patients with ventricular septal rupture complicating acute myocardial infarction, admitted to our tertiary center.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 70 +/- 7. The median time was five days from onset of symptoms to the diagnosis of the ventricular septal rupture. The overall 30-day, one-, and five- year mortalities were 62%, 72%, and 95%, respectively. Medical treated patients (n = 19) had a 30-day mortality of 100%. Among surgically treated patients (n = 45) the survival at one month, one and five years was 71%, 48%, and 32%, respectively. History of hypertension, complicating congestive heart failure, and age were associated with poor outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite improvements in medical and interventional techniques the early as well as the long-term prognosis remains poor in this contemporary series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark.
authors.forename: Steen Hvitfeldt
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Poulsen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Praestholm
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Munk
authors.forename: Per
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wierup
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Egeblad
authors.forename: Jens Erik
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Nielsen-Kudsk
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002423:Cause of Death; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006342:Heart Rupture, Post-Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006346:Heart Septum / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate