[Late ventricular potentials and acute myocardial infarction].

BACKGROUND

The presence of late ventricular potentials was evaluated in a group of patients following acute myocardial infarction hospitalised in our division.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Recordings were made between the 10th and 12th day of the pathology. The criteria for positivity were the presence of three parameters: QRSD > or = 114 msec, LAS 40 > or = 38 msec, RMS 40 < or = 20 mv. These were present in 21 patients (18 males and 3 females). Inferior acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was found to be present in 15 cases, anterior AMI in 4 cases and AMI with an unspecified localisation in 2 cases. The mean duration of qrsd was 122 msec, the mean duration of low amplitude potentials (LAS 40) were 53.5 msec, the mean amplitude of the last 40 msec (RMS 40 was 8.9 mv).

CONCLUSIONS

In conclusion, the authors affirm that late potentials were present in the majority of patients with inferior AMI and the search for the latter represents an important stage in the post-AMI prognostic stratification. Delta is the positive correlation between late potentials and ventricular tachycardia in postinfarction. This non-invasive test is comparable to electrophysiological induction tests in terms of predictive capacity of arrhythmic event and/or sudden death.