Skip Navigation

European Heart Journal 1994 15(6):842-850;
Copyright © 1994 by the European Society of Cardiology.
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow E-letters: Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when E-letters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by CHIARELLA, F.
Right arrow Articles by VECCHIO, C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by CHIARELLA, F.
Right arrow Articles by VECCHIO, C.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© 1994 The European Society of Cardiology

Dipyridamole echocardiographic test performed 3 days after an acute myocardial infarction: feasibility, tolerability, safety and in-hospital prognostic value

F. CHIARELLA, S. DOMENICUCCI, P. BELLOTTI, P. BELLONE, G. SCARSI and C. VECCHIO

Cardiology Division, Ente Ospedaliero Ospedali Galliera Genoa, Italy

Received 23 September 1993; revised 15 February 1994; .

Correspondence. Dr Francesco Chiarella, Divisione di Cardiologia, Ente Ospedaliero Ospedale Galliera, Via Volta 8. 16128 Genoa, Italy.

Abstract

In recent years, increasing evidence has pointed to the potential of dipyridamole stress echocardiography as a fast, effective, inexpensive method of risk stratification after an acute myocardial infarction. A very early stratification by this test could improve the patient's management and reduce the duration of in-hospital stay, and, thus, the costs.

Two-hundred and fifty-one consecutive patients (208 male, age 58 ± 11) with a two-dimensional echocardiogram of good technical quality underwent a dipyridamole echocardiographic test (DET) 70 ±6 h after an acute myocardial infarction. Criterion for positivity was the identification of a transient regional asynergy that was absent or of a lower degree in the baseline examination. Positivity was defined as ‘at low-dose’ or ‘at high- dose’ if the asynergy was detected before or after the 8th min of a drug infusion. All tests were performed without any major side effects. DET was positive in 149 (59%) and negative in 102 (41%) patients. During the hospital stay, cardiac events (death, reinfarction, angina) occurred in 521251 patients: in 491149 with a positive and in 31102 with a negative test (sensitivity 94%, negative predictive value 97%, P<000001). Severe events (death and reinfarction) occurred in 14/251: in 121149 with a positive DET and in 21102 with a negative DET (sensitivity 86%; negative predictive value: 98%; V<0.05). Moreover, cardiac events occurred in 28165 patients with a low-dose positive DET, in 21184 with a high-dose positive DET and in 31102 with a negative DET (low-dose positive vs negative DET: P<0 00001, and vs high-dose positive DET: P<002; high-dose positive vs negative DET: P<000001). Hence, DET performed 3 days after acute myocardial infarction is feasible, well tolerated and safe, and allows early stratification of patients with different degrees of risk of in-hospital cardiac events.

Key Words: Dipyridamole echocardiography • postinfarction prognosis • acute myocardial infarction • pharmacological echo-stress test


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Eur J EchocardiogrHome page
R. Sicari, P. Nihoyannopoulos, A. Evangelista, J. Kasprzak, P. Lancellotti, D. Poldermans, J.-U. Voigt, J. L. Zamorano, and on behalf of the European Association of Echocardi
Stress echocardiography expert consensus statement: European Association of Echocardiography (EAE) (a registered branch of the ESC)
Eur J Echocardiogr, July 1, 2008; 9(4): 415 - 437.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur J EchocardiogrHome page
I. Paetsch, C. Jahnke, E. Fleck, and E. Nagel
Current clinical applications of stress wall motion analysis with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging
Eur J Echocardiogr, October 1, 2005; 6(5): 317 - 326.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Eur Heart JHome page
A. Desideri, P. M. Fioretti, L. Cortigiani, D. Gregori, C. Coletta, C. Vigna, F. Tota, R. Rambaldi, J. Bax, L. Celegon, et al.
Cost of strategies after myocardial infarction (COSTAMI): A multicentre, international, randomized trial for cost-effective discharge after uncomplicated myocardial infarction
Eur. Heart J., September 2, 2003; 24(18): 1630 - 1639.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 CirculationHome page
E. Picano, R. Sicari, P. Landi, L. Cortigiani, R. Bigi, C. Coletta, A. Galati, J. Heyman, R. Mattioli, M. Previtali, et al.
Prognostic Value of Myocardial Viability in Medically Treated Patients With Global Left Ventricular Dysfunction Early After an Acute Uncomplicated Myocardial Infarction : A Dobutamine Stress Echocardiographic Study
Circulation, September 15, 1998; 98(11): 1078 - 1084.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.