Right Ventricular Infarction Incidence And Outcome

Abstract

Introduction:
Right ventricular infarction (RVMI) is a complication of myocardial infarction involving posterior (inferior) wall of the left ventricle. Incidence at necropsy has been found to be 14% of all infarctions and 24% of the posterior wall infarct ions’. It is usually caused by proximal right coronary artery occlusion before the right ventricular branch2.

Patients and Methods:

346 consecutive patients admitted with acute   myocardial infarction Mayo Hospital from July 1992 to June 1993 were analyzed for type of infraction, patient characteristics and subsequent clinical course.

Results:
346 consecutive acute myocardial infarction patients admitted to Cardiology Department Mayo Hospital were analyzed. There were 189 patients with anterior myocardial infarction and 157 patients with inferior myocardial infarction. Right ventricular infarction was diagnosed in 48 (14%) of total number of patients with myocardial infarction and 30% of inferior myocardial infarctions. The age range of the patients with right ventricular infarction was 37 to 70 with a mean age of 54, out of 48 patients with right ventricular infarction there were 39 (81%) males and 9 (19%) females.

Discussion:
Incidence of myocardial infarction has risen sharply in Pakistan over the last two decades although official statistics are lacking. To our knowledge this is the first study in our country to look at the incidence and outcome of right ventricular infarction. We found the incidence of right ventricular infarction in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction very similar to previously reported series in developed countries.