Ventricular tachycardia associated with acute myocardial infarction. Features, therapeutic effect and prognosis.

This study was performed to delineate the precise features and the treatment of ventricular tachycardia (VT) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Results indicate: 1) the incidence of VT in 310 AMI patients was 16.1% (50 patients); 2) the higher incidence of ventricular fibrillation and mortalities were observed in VT group compared with non-VT group; 3) the incidence of VT was higher in inferior infarction group (21.0%) than anterior group (13.1%); 4) more frequent VT were seen in patients with more severe heart failure; 5) two peaks of VT occurrence, on the first day and in the 4th week after the onset of AMI, were recognized especially in anterior infarction group; 6) supraventricular arrhythmias were more frequent than ventricular premature beats during one minute preceding VT; 7) the successful termination of VT was achieved in 63.9% of episodes by thump-version, 61.5% by lidocaine, 66.7% by disopyramide and 100% by mexiletine; 8) prophylactic effect on VT by class Ia antiarrhythmic agents seemed stronger than others; 9) IABP was effective to prevent VT in some cases; 10) poor prognosis was determined by frequent and later onset of VT, and combination of severe heart failure.