The prognostic value of left atrial function assessed by TDI after myocardial infarction (comparison between ST and non ST segment elevation myocardial infarction)

The study included 41 patients with myocardial infarction who admitted to cardiology department at Tanta University Hospital divided as 25 patients with STEMI and 16 patients with NSTEMI, where clinical and echocardiographic parameters were collected within the first 72 hours of admission. Primary end point was assessed during the 3-month follow-up period which included cardiac mortality and/or rehospitalization for recurrent ACS or heart failure. Atrial function was assessed by conventional echocardiographic parameters and by Pulsed wave TDI that measured the mean atrial contraction velocity at the midsegments of interatrial septum, anterior, inferior, and lateral wall of LA (mLA-V). During the 3-month follow-up period, primary end point occurred in 16% (4/25) in STEMI patients and 18.8 % (3/16) in NSTEMI patients. STEMI patients mLA-V< 8 cm/sec emerged as an independent predictor for cardiac events (p. value = 0.001), in comparison to mLA-V< 6.3 cm/sec in NSTEMI patients with cardiac events. Also E/E` ratio showed a significant difference in patients with cardiac events in both groups.