ST-elevation myocardial infarction studies of outcome in relation to fibrinolysis and ischemia monitoring with on-line vectorcardiography

Sammanfattning: The treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has undergone a tremendous development during the last decades, and the most important factor is probably the introduction of reperfusion therapy aimed at preventing or limiting the myocardial injury.It is of vital importance that patients with AMI are adequately monitored regarding the development of ECG changes during and after treatment to identify successful or failed reperfusion and to detect episodes of recurrent ischemia. Vectorcardiography (VCG) is one method for this purpose.This series of studies was aimed at evaluating VCG as a method for detecting reperfusion and recurrent ischemia in patients with ST-elevation AMI who were treated with different reperfusion strategies. Specific changes in the VCG during the initial treatment phase, “reperfusion peaks,” were examined in detail. The influence of the fibrinolytic system and von Willebrand factor (vWF) on successful reperfusion and subsequent AMI and death after thrombolytic treatment with streptokinase (SK) was another main objective.From the data in these studies it can be concluded that:VCG is a relevant and easily used method for ischemia-monitoring in patients with AMI. A specific sign, the reperfusion peak, is associated with vectorcardiographic signs of reperfusion. This sign is observed both in patients treated with primary coronary angioplasty and in those who are treated with fibrinolytic agents. The reperfusion peak is associated with successful reperfusion and with larger infarcts, but by itself, the parameter has little prognostic significance. The recognition of the reperfusion peak is important since it can mimic severe ischemia. In an unfortunate situation the incorrect interpretation of the VCG could lead to premature treatment decisions that might even be harmful to the patient.Streptokinase treatment of patients with AMI induced profound changes in the fibrinolytic system and vWF. A high tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) activity level (>25 U/mL) early after the start of treatment, reflecting the fibrinolytic activity obtained by the given drug, was associated with successful reperfusion.Pre-existing neutralizing antibodies to SK were found to varying degrees in the previously SK-treated patients. No association between SK-neutralizing antibodies and the result of the treatment regarding successful reperfusion as judged by VCG was seen.Pre-treatment levels of tPA activity, PAI-1 activity, PAI-1 mass-concentration and vWF had no correlation with the success of reperfusion therapy with SK or on the incidence of recurrent ischemia during the first 24 hours. Recurrent ischemia, however, was shown to be an independent risk factor for death within the first 1 year. Elevated levels of PAI-1 mass-concentration, and to some extent PAI-1 activity, after the start of SK treatment, were associated with a higher risk for death at one year, though not at five years.