DOPPLER TRANSMITRAL FLOW PATTERN IS AN INDEPENDENT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION

We analyzed the transmitral flow pattern on admission in 95 patients w ith acute myocardial infarction, Nineteen patients had a restrictive p attern, defined as a peak early to peak atrial filling wave ratio grea ter than 1.6, plus an early wave deceleration time shorter than 180 ms . Restrictive pattern, compared with nonrestrictive one, was associate d with the development of heart failure (42 versus 11%, p = 0.001) and greater in-hospital mortality (32 versus 7%, p = 0.002). After multiv ariate analysis, it remained significantly predictive of death (p = 0. 028). We conclude that a restrictive pattern of left ventricular filli ng in patients with acute myocardial infarction is an independent pred ictor of early outcome.