RESUMO
Four hundred and sixty eight patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction [AMI] were reviewed and classified into two groups those who showed the reciprocal ST-segment depression [positive group] and those who did not [negative group]. The incidence of serious arrhythmias: Ventricular Fibrillation [VF], Ventricular Tachycardia [VT], and Ventricular Ectopics [VE] was 10%,43%, and 75% respectivly in the positive group, and 0%,20%, and 54% in the negative group. No patient in the negative group developed primary VF. In the positive group the incidence of heart failure and cardiogenic shoch were higher: 52% and 11% respectivly, compared to 36% and 3.5% respectively in the negative group. In hospital the total mortality was 10.6%, 80% of which was in the positive group and 20% in the negative group. Reciprocal ST-segment depression in AMI was associated with a high incidence of serious arrhythmias, heart failure and cardiogenic shock, and can be used as an index of high risk patients