title: Complete heart block in late presentation of inferior STEMI successfully treated with percutaneous coronary intervention.
abstract: A 55-year-old female presented with 4-day history of fatigue and exertional shortness of breath. A late presentation inferior ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) was diagnosed based on ST elevation in the inferior leads of electrocardiography and elevated cardiac troponin T (TnT). She developed complete heart block 1 day after admission to the hospital and remained hemodynamically stable. She was taken to the catheterization laboratory for a temporary pacing wire insertion. Coronary angiogram at the same time showed an occluded right coronary artery at the mid-section. The lesion was successfully opened. Within 24 hours, the patient's heart rhythm returned to sinus with first-degree atrioventricular block (AVB), thus avoiding the need for a permanent pacemaker. Current guidelines recommend medical management for late presentation hemodynamically stable STEMI of more than 72 H onset. Current ACC/AHA/HRS Pacemaker Guidelines recommend reperfusion strategy for acute presentation inferior STEMI associated with AVB. However, no clear strategy exists in the case of late presentation inferior STEMI with advanced AVB. Our case report suggests that late coronary intervention could be a management strategy in such a scenario in order to avoid a permanent pacemaker.
authors: Department of Cardiology, Waikato Hospital, Hamilton, Pembroke & Selwyn Sts., Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
authors: Michael
authors: M
authors: Liang
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Chin
authors: Sanjeevan
authors: S
authors: Pasupati
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D001283:Atrioventricular Node; D017023:Coronary Angiography; D018450:Disease Progression; D004417:Dyspnea / Q000209:etiology; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006327:Heart Block / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors