Acute MI complicated by ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest had higher in-hospital mortality, but long-term survival was similar to uncomplicated MI for those discharged alive.
Cohort (n=1,401)
Does ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest complicating acute MI worsen long-term survival for patients discharged alive?
Patients who survive to hospital discharge after an acute MI complicated by VFib/CA have similar long-term survival to those without this complication, highlighting the importance of diligent secondary prevention in both groups.
A community-wide study was conducted in metropolitan Baltimore in which the prognosis of 330 patients hospitalized with an acute myocardial infarction (MI) complicated by ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest (VFib/CA) was compared with that of 1,071 patients hospitalized with acute MI not complicated by VFib/CA. As expected, the in-hospital case-fatality rate among patients with MI complicated by VFib/CA was significantly higher than that in patients without VFib/CA. However, for patients discharged alive from the hospital, no significant differences in long-term survival were found between patients with MI with or without VFib/CA. These results suggest that attempts at preventing subsequent mortality should be diligently pursued in patients with MI who are discharged alive from the hospital regardless of the occurrence of VFib/CA in the acute phase.
Robert J. Goldberg (1979) conducted a cohort in Acute myocardial infarction (n=1,401). Ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest vs. Acute myocardial infarction not complicated by ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest was evaluated on In-hospital case-fatality rate and long-term survival. Acute MI complicated by ventricular fibrillation or cardiac arrest had higher in-hospital mortality, but long-term survival was similar to uncomplicated MI for those discharged alive.