Giornale italiano di cardiologia
-
Comparative Study
[Ventricular arrhythmias in the acute phase of myocardial infarct and in the postinfarct. A 1-year follow-up].
A total of 90 AMI patients (80 male, 10 female; mean age: 62 years, range: 36-70 yrs) who were admitted to the coronary care unit within six hours of the onset of symptoms were evaluated for the following: the incidence and variability of complex ventricular ectopic beats (classes Lown III-V) in the acute, subacute and chronic phases of myocardial infarction. The diagnostic utility of Holter monitoring and treadmill exercise testing was compared so as to reveal complex ventricular ectopic beats. The relation between complex ventricular ectopic beats and left ventricular dysfunction was determined using the echocardiographic technique (ejection fraction, fractional shortening). ⋯ A high variability in arrhythmic groups was found. Each group was composed of new arrhythmic patients and stable arrhythmic patients, in addition to a small number of patients who were arrhythmic in the preceding control but no arrhythmic in the following control. This specific analysis of various groups revealed that the pre-discharge phase is the period with the highest number of "stable arrhythmic" patients (4 Holter positive out of 5) compared to the 1st month (3 Holter positive out of 4) and the 3rd month (2 Holter positive out of 3).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)