Current therapy of the right ventricle myocardial infarction

Background. Acute myocardial infarction of the right ventricle (AMI-RV) is a separate subgroup within the scope of inferoposterior infarction of the left ventricle. It still represents the population of patients at high risk due to numerous, often hardly predictable complications and high mortality rate. Methods. In fifteen-year period (1987-2001) 3 765 patients with the acute myocardial infarction (AMI) of different localizations of both sexes – 2 283 males and 1 482 females of the average age 61.4 ± 4.6 years were treated in our institution. Anterior myocardial infarction was diagnosed in 2 146 (56.9%) patients, inferior in 1 619 (43.1%) patients, out of whom right ventricular infarction (RVI) was confirmed in 384 (23.7%). Thrombolytic therapy was administered in 163 (42.4%) patients with RVI, and in 53 (41.7%) of these patients balloon dilatation was performed with coronary stent implantation in 24 (45.2%). Results. Favorable clinical effect of the combined thrombolytic therapy and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) was achieved in 51 (96.1%), and in only 2 (3.9%) of patients the expected effect wasn't achieved. Myocardial revascularization was accomplished in 6 (3.6%) and 1 patient died. In 3 (3.4%) patients primary balloon dilatation with the implantation of intracoronary stent was performed within 6 hours from the onset of anginal pain. In the other group of 221 (57.5%) patients with RVI who did not receive thrombolytic therapy, or it had no effect, 26 (11.7%) patients died, which indicated the validity and the efficacy of this treatment (p<0,01). In the whole group of patients with myocardial infarction of the right ventricle 31 (8.1%) died; in the group that received thrombolytic therapy and PTCA 5 (3.1%) died, while in the group treated in a conservative way 26 (11.7%) died. Conclusion. Combined therapy was successful in the treatment of patients with RVI and should be administered whenever possible, since it was the best prevention of life-threatening complications and the decrease in the mortality of those patients

Primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in the acute infarction of the right ventricle

Background. Predilection site for the acute myocardial infarction of the right ventricle, (AMI-RV) is the upper third of the right coronary artery and for this reason such an infarction is followed by numerous complications, primarily by conduction disorders and very often by sudden and rapid cardiogenic shock development. Methods. Primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PPTCA) was performed on three patients in whom the acute infarction of the right ventricular was diagnosed and who had been hospitalized six hours after the beginning of chest pain. In all three patients intracoronary stent was implanted. On the admission patients had been in the threatening cardiogenic shock, with the prominent chest pain and with the elevation of ST-segment in V4R>2 mV. In the course of intervention patients were administered low-molecular intracoronary heparin with direct platelet glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (abciximab), according to the established procedure applied in such cases. Results. The complete dilatation of the infarcted artery was established with the signs of reperfusion and the further clinical course was completely normal, there was no heart failure and patients had no subjective difficulties. Conclusion. Invasive approach in the treatment of AMI-RV is justifiable, and possibly the therapy of choice of these patients, providing well trained and equipped team is available

The results of the treatment of right ventricle myocardial infarction

Aim. To present the results and experience in diagnosing and treating of patients with acute right ventricle infarction, during the period of hospitalization of one month, with adjuvant analyses of the obtained results in the period of fifteen years. Methods. Acute right ventricle infarction porved clinicaly, enzymologicaly, by ECG, echochardiographically or scintigraphically we treated with thrombolitic therapy within first six hours after admittion, with salvaged PTA in case of the cardiogenic shock or AV block IIº−IIIº despite of thrommbolitic therapy, or with postponed PTA within first month of intrahospital treatment. Results. In the period from 1990 to 2004, 3 225 patients of both sexes were treated for acute myocardial infarction at the different localization in patients' at the mean age of 53.7 ± 5.8. One-hundredthirty - nine (43.9%) patients were treated with thrombolitic therapy according to the speed up protocole. Heparin was administered to 160 (50.7%) patients with water load, and 17 (5.4%) patients had the primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PPTCA), so that the mechanical blood flow could be established, by the implantation of a stent when necessary. In 316 patients with right ventricle infarction, 58 (18.3%) had postponed and salvaged percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Twenty-two (15.8%) patients had thrombolitic therapy, whereas 36 (22.5%) patients were treated with heparin. We had a successful balloon dilatation in 21 (36.2%), whereas 32 (55.2%) patients had 1−3 intracoronary stents inplanted, depending upon the necessity, and 5 (8.6%) patients from this group were sent to surgical intervention. In the group of 214 (67.7%) patients treated with heparin or thrombolitic therapy combined therapy, with PTCA, 12 (5.7%) patients died, whereas in the group of 124 (39.3%) patients treated only with heparin 26 (16.2%) patients died, statistically significant difference (p < 0.001, χ2 = 18.423). Was noticed n the group of 1 204 patients with inferoposterior infarction, 122 (10.1% ) patients died. In the group of 316 patients with right ventricle infarction, 38 (12%) died. In the group of 888 control patients with inferoposterior infarction, but without right ventricle infarction, 84 (9.4%) patients died. In the group of 2 021 patients (62.2%) with anterior infarction, 248 (12.3%) died. Conclusion. The obtained results showed that the patients with right ventricle infarction, due to the great expansion of necrosis and the involvement of the inferoposterior wall of the left ventricle, as well as the ischemia of sinus and AV nodes, were the patients of a high risk. That was why it was essential to do urgent widening of the artery to reestablish blood flow either by using drugs or by means of mechanical methods

Myocardial damage size assessment in the zone of infarction for indicating rescue percutaneous coronary intervention

Background. The most important predictors of subsequent patients outcome after acute myocardial infarction (AIM) are infarct size, left ventricular ejection fraction, left ventricular volumes and presence and extent of residual myocardial ischemia. All of these variables can be directly determined through scintigraphic approaches. The presence and extent of myocardial ischemia are strong predictors for fatal and nonfatal cardiac events and improve risk statification beyond the information gleaned from clinical variables. Case report. We presented a case of 66-years-old male with myocardial infarction of anteroseptal localization. Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) detected a large zone of residual ischemia (culprit lesion) within infarction zone. It has an important role in risk stratification after myocardial infarction, and indicates subsequent therapeutic decision making, in this case rescue percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). After PCI we followed the therapy effect by MPI, and we found practically normal perfusion with minimal zone of defect perfusion in the apex. Conclusion. Myocardial perfusion imaging has an important role in the initial evaluation and risk stratification of patients surviving myocardial infarction. It also plays a major role in guiding subsequent therapeutic decision making, and in monitoring the benefits of these therapeutic measures

Diagnostic significance of myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in identification and localization of culprit lesions in patients undergoing elective PTCA

Background/Aim. The coronary angiography provides information on the anatomical state of the coronary tree, while myocardial perfusion scintigraphy (MPI) facilitates the evaluation of the grade of ischaemia that a particular stenosis produces. The purpose of MPI is to detect the coronary stenosis that provokes the ischaemia and is termed the "culprit lesion". The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 1-day DypEX 99mTc-tetrofosmin tomography in the identification and localization of culprit lesion in the patients with known coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods. Ninety-one (91) patients with known CAD were studied. In all of them significant coronary narowing (≥ 75% luminal stenosis) was angiographically detected. All the patients were submitted to 2 iv. injections of 99mTc-tetrofosmin, one in a peak of pharmacologic dipyridamole stress protocol with concomitant low level bicycle exercise 50W (DypEX) and the other 3 h after exercise. Quantification of regional tetrofosmin uptake was performed using short-axis myocardial tomogram that was divided on 17-segments for each study. Reversibility scor (RS) ≥ 3 determinated culprit lesion. Two of segments with scor 5 (index of reversibility scor - IRS) in the territory of coronary artery stenoses determinated culprit lesion. Results. A total of 273 vascular territories (4641 segments) were analyzed before percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Overall sensivity, specificity, and accuracy using RS ≥ 3 and IRS were 90.1%, 87.1%, 89.4%, with positive predictive value 95.8%, and 94.1%, 93.3%, 94%, with positive predictive value 98%, respectively. Conclusion. RS and IRS significantly improve sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for determination of culprit lesion in patients undergoing PCI