Journal of cardiology
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Journal of cardiology · Dec 1988
[The significance of early coronary reperfusion in patients with acute myocardial infarction assessed by regional wall motion].
Left ventricular ejection fraction, regional wall motion, hospital mortality rate, and reocclusion rate of the infarct-related coronary artery after thrombolytic therapy were examined in 164 consecutive patients who were admitted within 12 hours of the onsets of their symptoms of acute myocardial infarction. The patients were divided into three groups based on the findings of initial coronary angiography before and after administration of urokinase: (1) stenosed (the infarct-related coronary blood flow was visualized at initial angiography) (n = 41); (2) successfully thrombolysed (n = 82); and (3) unsuccessful (n = 41). The patients in each group were also subdivided into three subgroups based on the recanalized time (hours): within three, three to six hours and six hours or longer. ⋯ Regional wall motion in patients with the recanalized coronary artery within 12 hours was better than that of the unsuccessful group. The area of improved wall motion was wide in patients with early recanalization in the stenosed and thrombolysed groups. Thus, early recanalization within three hours is mandatory for reducing mortality and for improving ejection fraction and wall motion.