ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION - EARLY REPER FUSION TREATMENT BY PRIMARYCORONARY ANGIOPLASTY

Between March 1990 and July 1993, 21 patients with an evolving acute m yocardial infarction were treated with coronary angioplasty after 2-9 hours of chest pain (mean 3.9). Thirteen had a clinically and electroc ardiographically large infarction, including 3 in cardiogenic shock. T he dilated arteries were the /eft anterior descending in 14, the left circumflex in 4 and right coronary artery in 3 patients. With angiopla sty successful reperfusion of the infarct area was obtained in 18 pati ents (86%). The procedure was well tolerated by most patients and the in-hospital mortality rate was 5%.