1985 Volume 35 Issue 3Supplement Pages 301-308
Fifty-one cases of acute myocardial infarction, 25 anterior and 26 inferior, were admitted to the Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gunma University Hospital, between August, 1980 and May, 1983. Right ventricular infarction was complicated in eight cases of inferior infarction. Although the male to female ratio was 2 : 1 in the group as a whole, only two of 19 patients under the age of 60 were women. There were nine hospital deaths (18%). The mortality rate was high in the eighth decade as compared with the seventh decade (10%) and younger age group (11%). Six patients died of pump failure, three of cardiac rupture.
The systolic blood pressure, heart rate, and pressure rate product were lower in inferior infarction than in anterior infarction. Ventricular tachycardia and/or fibrillation were complicated in four cases, while second to third degree A-V block appeared in 13. The latter was usually present in inferior infarction, especially in those with right ventricular involvement. Atrial tachyarrhythmias were also frequent in the presence of right ventricular infarction.
Five of eight cases with right ventricular infarction were classified as Forrester subset 3. In the cases with right ventricular infarction, the mortality was relatively low, although the hemodynamic disorders persisted longer than other cases. External pacemaker was usually needed for treatment of bradyarrhythmias associated with right ventricular infarction.
