Ma. Walamies et al., QRS SCORE AS AN INDICATOR OF MYOCARDIAL VIABILITY AFTER THROMBOLYTIC THERAPY, Journal of electrocardiology, 28(3), 1995, pp. 185-190
Electrocardiographic estimation of myocardial injury has, in some stud
ies, correlated poorly with the extent of nuclear perfusion defects at
rest and with changes in the left ventricular ejection fraction after
acute reperfusion therapy. The authors investigated 16 patients with
fatty acid scintigraphy and with the Selvester-Wagner QRS score 2 week
s and 3 months after an anterior myocardial infarction. Segmental upta
ke on tomographic scans was semiquantitatively classified as low, mode
rate, or normal. The analysis included a total of 707 segments. QRS sc
ores and the number of segments with low fatty acid uptake did not sig
nificantly change during the follow-up period, although the number of
segments with moderate fatty acid uptake decreased from 15.9 +/- 5.1 t
o 12.4 +/- 5.7 (P < .05). The QRS score correlated significantly (rho
= .56-.64) with low fatty acid uptake, but not with moderate fatty aci
d uptake. It is concluded that the QRS score is related to the degree
of permanent myocardial injury, even after thrombolysis.