Changes in left ventricular ejection fraction after intracoronary thrombolytic therapy

Results of the Registry of the European Society of Cardiology

Rentrop, Peter M.D., (CHAIRMAN OF THE REGISTRY)
Smith, H. PH.D.
Painter, L. B.A.
Holt, J. M.A.

Address for correspondence: Peter Rentrop, M.D., Division of Cardiology, Mount Sinai Medical Center, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029.

Circulation 68:p I55-I60, August 1983.

Changes of left ventricular ejection fraction (ΔEF) determined by monoplane contrast angiography before intracoronary streptokinase infusion and in the chronic stage of infarction before hospital discharge were assessed in 125 patients. Preintervention EF was .49 ± .136 and chronic EF was .025 ±.118 higher (p =.02) in the total group. Some subgroups had an improved EF: patients with collaterals (ΔEF = .046 ±.106, p<.01, n = 42), patients with incomplete obstruction before intervention (ΔEF=+.076±.141, p =.03, n = 19) and patients in whom complete obstruction was permanently recanalized (ΔEF=.024±.113, p=.04, n = 89). A continuous model relating ΔEF to both duration of infarct symptoms before hospital admission and to preintervention EF showed a decline in EF improvement over time in the subgroup that was admitted within less than 6 hours after the onset of chest pain and successfully recanalized (n = 72).