Treatment of Shock in Recent Myocardial Infarction by Intra-Arterial Transfusion

A significant reduction in the early mortality following coronary thrombosis with myocardial infarction has resulted from the routine use of anticoagulants, primarily by decreasing the incidence of thromboembolic complications.1In many respects, however, the treatment of recent myocardial infarction remains inadequate. This is especially true of patients in whom myocardial infarction is initially or subsequently attended by a clinical picture of profound shock. The appalling mortality statistics are a grim testimonial to the helplessness of the clinician in the effective treatment of this type of case. Rosenbaum and Levine2observed a mortality of 26% when shock was mild, 51% when it was moderate, and 93% when it was severe. Rathe,3in a study of 274 cases of recent myocardial infarction, found a mortality of 91.6% in patients with a pulse pressure of 20 mm. Hg or less. Shock was present in 69% of his early fatal cases.