Cardiac Performance Three to Eight Weeks After Acute Myocardial Infarction

When cardiac performance was assessed three to eight weeks after uncomplicated acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in patients not in clinical cardiac failure, abnormalities of left ventricular (LV) function were demonstrated in 22 of 27 patients who, by clinical criteria, were recovering satisfactorily. Left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was measured in 24 patients. It was elevated in 19, ranged from 14 to 20 mm Hg in 13, and was > 20 mm Hg in 6. Patients comprised three groups: group 1—5 patients with normal LVEDP, cardiac index (CI), stroke index (SI), and preejection period (PEP) to left ventricular ejection time (PEP/LVET) ratio; group 2—12 patients with elevated LVEDP (14 to 24 mm Hg) but normal CI, SI, and PEP/LVET ratio and; group 3—10 patients with elevated LVEDP (14 to 30 mm Hg), reduced CI and SI ( 0.381).