Significance of ventricular late potentials in patients with myocardial infarction
Jain, P.; Kaul, U.; Wasir, H.S.
Journal of the Association of Physicians of India 40(8): 515-519
1992
ISSN/ISBN: 0004-5772 PMID: 1308489 Document Number: 396748
Fifty six patients (52 males, 4 females, mean age 53.6 +/- 8 years, range 35-75 years) were studied to determine the influence of clinical variables, site of myocardial infarction, thrombolytic therapy, documented arrhythmias and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) on the incidence of ventricular late potentials (LP's). LP's were detected in 17 (30.3%) patients; in 6 (26%) patients with acute and in 11 (33.3%) patients with old healed myocardial infarction. 87.5% of the patients in whom LPs were detected had low LVEF. The presence of low LVEF correlated significantly with the presence of LP's (p = .02). LP's were also present in all patients with documented sustained ventricular tachycardia. Clinical variables (Killip and NYHA class), site of myocardial infarction, Q wave versus non-Q wave myocardial infarction and thrombolytic therapy did not relate to the presence of LP's (p > 0.5) Patients of myocardial infarction with low LVEF and a history of ventricular tachyarrhythmias should undergo signal averaged electrocardiography for LP detection. LP presence would identify patients at higher risk of future arrhythmic events within this subgroup.