Abstract
The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) in patients with persistent ST elevation who underwent revascularization within 6 h of their first acute anterior myocardial infarction (AMI). Persistent ST elevation after revascularization was defined as being ≥50% of the initial value on return to the coronary care unit. Twenty-four patients were treated without IABP (control group) and 27 patients were treated with IABP (IABP group). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in pretreatment left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-diastolic volume index or end-systolic volume index. After 137±46 days, the change in the LVEF was significantly higher in the IABP group than in the control group (5±13% vs 13±15%, p=0.04). However, the left ventricular end-diastolic volume index was similar between the 2 groups during follow-up (pretreatment: 77±19 ml/m2 vs 74±13 ml/m2, p=0.54; follow-up: 86±22 ml/m2 vs 83±18 ml/m2, p=0.60). These data suggest that IABP enhances the improvement in LVEF independent of remodeling in AMI patients with persistent ST elevation after revascularization. (Circ J 2003; 67: 35 - 39)
