IMPACT OF INFARCT ARTERY PATENCY ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ELECTROCARDIOGRAPHIC AND VENTRICULOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE OF ACUTE MYOCARDIAL-ISCHEMIA

Routine invasive evaluations are being abandoned, and thus simple non- invasive methods for estimating the extent of jeoparized myocardium du ring evolving myocardial infarction are needed for risk stratification to guide the appropriate therapeutic intervention. With this in mind the aim of the paper was to evaluate the association between ischaemic changes in the standard electrocardiogram and the function of acutely infarcted myocardium in relation to infarct artery patency status. Fo rty consecutive patients with a first acute myocardial infarction, adm itted within 6 h of symptom onset and without bundle branch or fascicu lar block were included. Summated ST segment elevation in 11 electroca rdiographic leads (aVR) excluded) was measured to the nearest 0.05 mV and compared to regional wall motion, estimated by the centreline meth od (SD/chord) and global left ventricular ejection fraction (% LVEF) a fter thrombolytic therapy. Acute angiographic and ST segment measureme nts were performed at a median 254 min (range 70-485) after the onset of symptoms. Patients were grouped according to infarct artery patency status after intravenous thrombolysis. Of the 40 patients, 27 had a p atent (Thrombolysis In Acute Myocardial Infarction trial (TIMI) grade 2-3 flow) and 13 had persistently occluded (TIMI 0-1 flow) infarct art eries. Anterior myocardial infarction was present in 13 and seven pati ents in the two groups. In the TIMI 2-3 group, the summated ST elevati on did not correlate with % LVEF or SD/chord (r(s) = -0.8; and r(s) = -0.17, respectively). In the TIMI0-1 group the summated ST elevation c orrelated inversely with both % LVEF and SD/chord (r(s) = -0.70; and r (s) = 0.56, respectively). These results show that acute summated ST s egment elevation correlates with both global and regional left ventric ular function in patients with persistently occluded infarct arteries, thus providing a non-invasive method for estimating the amount of jeo pardized myocardium.