Copyright © 1993 by the European Society of Cardiology.
© 1993 The European Society of Cardiology
Early ventricular fibrillation in patients with acute myocardial infarction: correlation with coronary angiographic findings
Department of Cardiology, Hippokration Hospital, University of Athens Athens, Greece
Received 22 July 1992; .
Correcpnndenee: Dr Michael Kyriakidis, 139–143 Karaiskou Street, Piraeus 185 35, Greece
Abstract
To define coronary angiographic characteristics of patients experiencing early primary ventricular fibrillation (VF) in the acute phase of myocardial infarction we studied 266 consecutive patients without clinical evidence of heart failure. Twenty-six patients (group 1) experienced early (< 12 h from the onset of symptoms of myocardial infarction) primary VF whereas 240 patients (group 2) with the same clinical characteristics served as an appropriately matched cohort. All patients were catheterized before or soon after hospital discharge (1 to 8 weeks after the acute event).
There was no significant difference in left ventricular ejection fraction between the two groups of patients (39.6±6% vs 36.9±8%, P = ns). Patients with early VF had a significantly greater number of diseased vessels than those without VF (3.38±1.05 vs 2.03±1.25. P <0.001) and a higher coronary arteriographic Gensini score (29.31±4.80 vs 20.16±4.14, P <0.001). The left anterior descending coronary artery was identified as the infarct-related vessel in 53.6% of group 1 vs 44.5% of group 2 patients (P <0.05). The mean maximal serum creatine kinase values were not significantly different (1897±1062 vs 1426 ±839 IU.l–1, P=ns) between the two groups.
These data indicate that patients with early primary VF in the setting of acute myocardial infarction may have more extensive coronary artery disease than similar patients without VF. A worse prognosis could be anticipated for these patients on the basis of worse coronary anatomy. A more aggressive therapeutic approach with routine coronary angiography before hospital discharge could reasonably be justified for patients with early primary VF complicating acute myocardial infarction.
Key Words: Primary ventricular fibrillation • acute myocardial infarction • coronary angiography • coronary artery disease
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  P. J. Gheeraert, M. L. De Buyzere, Y. M. Taeymans, T. C. Gillebert, J. P.S. Henriques, G. De Backer, and D. De Bacquer Risk factors for primary ventricular fibrillation during acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis Eur. Heart J., November 1, 2006; 27(21): 2499 - 2510. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. J. Gheeraert, J. P. S. Henriques, M. L. De Buyzere, J. Voet, P. Calle, Y. Taeymans, and F. Zijlstra Out-of-hospital ventricular fibrillation in patients with acute myocardial infarction: Coronary angiographic determinants J. Am. Coll. Cardiol., January 1, 2000; 35(1): 144 - 150. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|