PubMed1991
OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the prognostic importance of two-dimensional echocardiography in patients (pts) with acute myocardial infarction. SETTING: Department of Cardiology in a Central Hospital. METHODS: In 71 pts (63 men and 8 women) aged 35 to 75 years interned with a proved myocardial infarction, a score of left ventricular segmental wall motion was used on echocardiographic examination performed during the late hospital phase, to evaluate left ventricular function. Two groups of pts were considered: group A constituted by 38 pts with complication detected during follow-up that ranged 4 to 18 months; group B by 33 pts with no cardiac events for the same period. The relation of the wall motion score with each group and the location of myocardial infarction was performed. RESULTS: In group A, the mean score index was 1.67 in pts with angina, 1.08 in pts with heart failure and 0.82 in pts who died. The mean score index was 1.25, 1.57 and 1.18 respectively in pts with an anterior, inferior and antero-inferior infarction. In group B, the mean score index was 1.70 in pts with an anterior infarction, 1.85 in those with an inferior infarction and 1.33 in the patient with an antero-inferior infarction. Patients with a non-Q wave infarction had a mean score index of 2. The mean score index was significantly different between group A and B (respectively 1.33 vs 1.79; p less than 0.00001) and a mean score index of 1.53 was considered the mean risk value. CONCLUSIONS: Two-dimensional echocardiography performed during hospital predischarge permits risk stratification after acute myocardial infarction, specially for death and heart failure.