Early vectorcardiographic monitoring provides prognostic information in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Objective--To evaluate the prognostic value of specified vectorcardiographic data obtained during the first hours of ST-elevation myocardial infarction for cardiac outcomes up to 5 years. Design--Three hundred and five patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction and chest pain for less than 12 h were monitored with continuous vectorcardiography. Results--All patients had follow-up for at least 1 year. The mortality was 5.9% at 30 days and 10.8% at 1 year. The estimated 5-year mortality was 24%. A total of 7.9% had recurrent infarction at 30 days and 11.2% at 1 year. Recurrent infarction or death occurred in 12.1% at 30 days and in 19.7% at 1 year. The presence of ST-VM[Formula: See Text] ≥ 125 μV was highly predictive of the combined endpoint death or recurrent infarction at 1 year, OR 2.69 (95% CI 1.39-5.23). Multivariate analysis showed that age ≥75 years, anterior myocardial infarction, and the presence of ST-VM[Formula: See Text] ≥ 125 μV, were independently associated with increased risk of recurrent infarction or death at 1 year and with death at 5-year follow-up. A start value of ST-VM ≤⃒100 μV identified a group of patients with low risk of death or re-infarction within 1 year. Conclusion--Continuous vectorcardiography during the first hours after thrombolytic treatment of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction provides important prognostic information. A new vectorcardiographic variable, ST-VM[Formula: See Text], identifies a group of patients with increased risk of recurrent infarction or death. As well, patients with low risk of recurrent infarction or death were identified by low start values of ST-VM.