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CLINICAL STUDIES

Prevalence, characteristics and prognostic value during long-term follow-up of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia after myocardial infarction in the thrombolytic era

^a Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, J.W. Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany

Manuscript received July 23, 1998; revised manuscript received January 25, 1999, accepted February 15, 1999.

Reprint requests and correspondence: Dr. Stefan H. Hohnloser, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, J.W. Goethe University, Theodor-Stern-Kai 7, 60590 Frankfurt, Germany
hohnloser{at}em.uni-frankfurt.de

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence, characteristics and the predictive value of nonsustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) for subsequent death and arrhythmic events after acute myocardial infarction (AMI).

BACKGROUND

Nonsustained VT has been linked to an increased risk for sudden death in coronary patients. It is unknown whether this parameter can be used for selection of high-risk patients to receive an implantable defibrillator for primary prevention of sudden death in patients shortly after AMI.

METHODS

In 325 consecutive infarct survivors, 24-h Holter monitoring was performed 10 ± 6 days after AMI. All patients underwent coronary angiography, determination of left ventricular function and assessment of heart rate variability (HRV). Mean follow-up was 30 ± 22 months.

RESULTS

There was a low prevalence (9%) of nonsustained VT shortly after AMI. Nonsustained VT together with depressed left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was found in only 2.4% of patients. During follow-up, 25 patients reached one of the prospectively defined end points (primary composite end point of cardiac death, sustained VT or resuscitated ventricular fibrillation; secondary end point: arrhythmic events). Kaplan Meier event probability analyses revealed that only HRV, LVEF and status of the infarct-related artery were univariate predictors of death or arrhythmic events. The presence of nonsustained VT carried a relative risk of 2.6 for the primary study end point but was not a significant predictor if only arrhythmic events were considered. On multivariate analysis, only HRV, LVEF and the status of the infarct artery were found to be independently related to the primary study end point.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a low prevalence of nonsustained VT shortly after AMI. Only 2% to 3% of all infarct survivors treated according to contemporary guidelines demonstrate both depressed LVEF and nonsustained VT. The predictive value of nonsustained VT for subsequent mortality and arrhythmic events is inferior to that of impaired autonomic tone, LVEF or infarct-related artery patency. Accordingly, the use of nonsustained VT to select patients for primary implantable cardioverter/defibrillator prevention trials shortly after AMI appears to be limited.

Abbreviations and Acronyms   AMI = acute myocardial infarction   CAST = cardiac arrythmia suppression trial   CK = creatine kinase   HRV = heart rate variability   ICD = implantable cardioverter/defibrillator   LVEF = left ventricular ejection fraction   MADIT = multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial   PTCA = percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty   SDNN = standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals   TIMI = thrombolysis in myocardial infarction   VF = ventricular fibrillation   VT = ventricular tachycardia

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