Left Atrial Volume Index as Predictor of In-hospital Events in Patients with ST-elevation Myocardial Infarction: By Two-dimensional and Doppler Echocardiography

Export Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the association between left atrial volume index (LAVI) and in-hospital outcomes in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). This is the first prospective Indian study assessing in-hospital clinical outcomes using LAVI. Materials and Methods: This prospective observational study included consecutive STEMI patients who underwent transthoracic echocardiography within 24–72 h of admission. Patients were stratified by LAVI <32 mL/m² and ≥32 mL/m². Baseline characteristics, echocardiographic parameters, and in-hospital adverse events were compared between groups. Results: Of 110 STEMI patients, 80 had LAVI <32 mL/m² and 30 had LAVI ≥32 mL/m². Patients with higher LAVI had lower ejection fraction, higher E/e′ ratio, higher wall motion score index, and more frequent Killip class ≥2 at presentation. In-hospital complications, particularly arrhythmias (63.3% vs. 30.0%) and left ventricular systolic dysfunction, were more common in the LAVI ≥32 mL/m² group. Conclusion: Elevated LAVI is a simple, noninvasive, and easily reproducible echocardiographic marker associated with worse functional parameters and higher in-hospital complication rates. Incorporating LAVI into early risk stratification may facilitate timely identification of high-risk STEMI patients.