[Acute posttraumatic myocardial infarct: the necessity of an early interventionist posture]

We describe five cases of posttraumatic anterior acute myocardial infarction in young patients, without previous heart disease. One case was treated with intracoronary thrombolysis and angioplasty, 3 cases received systemic thrombolysis, and the last one did not have any re-permeabilization therapy, having arrived to the hospital 72 hours after the episode. The coronary angiograms showed at the left anterior descending artery: thrombosis in 3 cases, coronary dissection in one case, and slow flow with no morphological lesions in the other. The case which not received thrombolytic therapy developed a severe left ventricular dysfunction. In conclusion we emphasize an early angiographic study, in order to decide the re-permeabilization therapy.

Acute myocardial infarction after blunt chest trauma in young people: need for prompt intervention

We describe four cases of acute myocardial infarction in young patients, secondary to blunt chest trauma. One case was treated with intracoronary thrombolysis and angioplasty, two cases received systemic thrombolysis, and the last one did not have any reperfusion therapy. The coronary angiograms of the left anterior descending artery showed thrombosis in two cases, coronary dissection in one case, and no morphological lesions in the other. We encourage the early performance of angiographic studies in these patients, adjusting the therapy to their pathophysiologic mechanism.

[Usefulness of dobutamine in producing myocardial ischemia. Comparison with ergometry]

Fifty six patients were studied while in the Coronary Care Unit: 17 with unstable angina and 39 with acute myocardial infarction. All patients underwent dobutamine stress testing (doses of 5, 10, 15 and 20 micrograms/kg/min every 5 min) and exercise testing (modified protocol to finish at an energy expenditure of approximately 5 METS): 4-5 days after the last crisis of angina or 6-8 days after the onset of noncomplicated acute myocardial infarction. The heart rate increased from 72 +/- 10 to 104 +/- 12 beat/min with dobutamine (p = 0.00001) and from 84 +/- 11 to 118 +/- 15 beat/min with exercise testing (p = 0.00001). The systolic blood pressure increased from 116 +/- 9 to 138 +/- 11 mmHg with dobutamine (p = 0.00001) and from 117 +/- 8 to 156 +/- 7 mmHg with exercise testing (p = 0.00001). Due to different reasons 33 patients did not finish the exercise protocol, while only 8 patients did not finish the dobutamine testing. The ST segment wast elevated in 22 cases with dobutamine and in 9 cases with exercise, eight of them coinciding in both tests. The ST segment was depressed in 36 cases with dobutamine and in 21 cases with exercise, 20 of them coinciding in both tests. Angina was present in 11 cases with dobutamine and in four exercise, three of them coinciding. If the unfinished tests or those with angina or ST segment depression are considered abnormal, there were 40 abnormal tests with dobutamine and 38 with exercise, 32 of them coinciding.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Diagnosis and treatment of subacute free wall ventricular rupture after infarction

Ventricular rupture is usually a sudden, lethal complication after acute myocardial infarction (MI). Some patients, however, may survive several hours after ventricular rupture, and there is time for surgical repair if the diagnosis is made quickly. In 1980 and 1981, 7 patients underwent operation for ventricular rupture at our institution. Bedside hemodynamic studies with a Swan-Ganz catheter confirmed the diagnosis of pericardial tamponade. Urgent operation with cardiopulmonary bypass was performed. Control of hemorrhage was obtained by covering the ventricular tear and the surrounding infarcted myocardium with a wide Teflon patch. Four patients are alive and well 2, 3, 4, and 10 months after operation. Clinically, free wall ventricular rupture should be suspected when any patient recovering from an acute MI experiences chest pain and cardiovascular collapse. Bedside hemodynamic monitoring will confirm the diagnosis of cardiac tamponade, and urgent operation will save some of these patients.