Acute coronary insufficiency. Course and follow-up

The clinical courses of 100 patients with acute coronary insufficiency (ACI) were reviewed; ACI was defined as prolonged coronary pain without laboratory evidence of myocardial infarction (MI). Of these 100 patients, there was only a single hospital death. Six others developed later MI during hospitalization. Over an average follow-up period of 20 months after hospital discharge, 26 additional patients died, 8 from complications of MI, 13 suddenly, and 5 from other causes. The one-year survival was 85%. Patients who presented with deterioration of chronic angina had a significantly increased mortality over those with the recent new onset of coronary pain. All six hospital MIs and the single hospital death occurred in patients with recurrent pain after admission to the coronary care unit.