[Acute myocardial infarction of the right ventricle: hemodynamic and electrocardiographic correlation (author's transl)]. / Infarto agudo de miocardio de ventrículo derecho. Correlación electrocardiográfica-hemodinámica.

The electrocardiogram as a diagnostic aid in acute myocardial infarction of the right ventricle (AMI-RV) was studied prospectively in a group of 66 patients in our coronary unit. Diagnosis was AMI in all cases, divided into 29 (44%) with posterior-descending and 35 (53%) with anterior location. Electrocardiography was practiced with standard and special modes: CRnR, CR and VR. Thirty-nine patients were hemodynamically monitored. In 13 patients with posterior-descending location (19.6%) the hemodynamic pattern disclosed AMI. Right ventricular dysfunction was found in 17%, left ventricular dysfunction in 9% and biventricular dysfunction in 20%. In 30 patients (45.5%) ST increased to greater than 1 mm CR3R-CR6R of which 77% were false positive and 46% false negative. No improvement in these proportions was observed with the use of special mode, special in infarctions with anterior location. The correlation between hemodynamics-site of necrosis was better than that between hemodynamics-increase in ST in CRnR. The authors draw the conclusion that special modes as an aid to diagnosis are of limited value, sensitivity is 54% and specificity is 23%, which rises to 50% in posterior-descending infarctions. At present hemodynamics are the choice diagnostic procedure for AMI-RV which must be suspected if serial studies disclose PVC of more than 9 mm Hg.

[Correlation between the Morris' index and pulmonary capillary pressure in patients with acute myocardial infarction]. / Correlación entre índice de Morris y presión capilar pulmonar en pacientes con infarto agudo de miocardio.

The authors study the usefulness of the measurement of the negative area of P in V1 (Morris' index) in patients with acute myocardial infarction. The study was carried out prospectively in 70 patients, 31 of them having a Swan-Ganz catheter inserted permitting simultaneous hemodynamic and electrocardiographic measurements. No overall correlation was found between pulmonary capillary pressure (PCP) and Morris' index (Mlx), but a correlation existed in the subgroup of patients that showed evident variations of Mlx values during the study. On admission a relationship between PCP and Mlx was evident in 68% of the cases, without statistical significance. No PCP-Mlx correlation was found in the patients in whom the Mlx was always normal or abnormal during the study, nor in those with a prior history of arterial hypertension or left heart failure. An intraatrial conduction defect was found in 13% of the cases, no PCP-Mlx correlation being present in those. The fact that the PCP-Mlx correlation is best in patients with changing Mlx values in successive measurements that in patients with a prior history of hypertension or left ventricular failure suggests that Mlx values may vary with changes of left atrial pressure. The measurement of the Mlx to estimate left atrial pressure has little value in patients with conditions that may cause left atrial enlargement and intraatrial conduction defects.