Exercise testing early after myocardial infarction: comparison with echocardiography, electrocardiographic monitoring and coronary arteriography.

BACKGROUND: Predischarge exercise testing early after myocardial infarction is useful for risk stratification, exercise prescription, and assessment of prognosis and treatment. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the findings of exercise testing early after myocardial infarction with those of echocardiography, electrocardiographic monitoring (24-hour Holter monitoring) and coronary angiography. METHODS: We evaluated 60 cases (mean age of 51.42 +/- 9.34 years), of which 46 were males (77%). The symptom-limited maximal exercise test according to the Naughton protocol12 was performed between the sixth day of hospitalization and hospital discharge, with the patients on medication. During hospitalization, the patients underwent echocardiography, electrocardiographic monitoring and coronary angiography. The significance level was set at 0.05 (alpha = 5%). RESULTS: Exercise testing had a poor performance in the detection of multivessel coronary artery disease (sensitivity, 42%; specificity, 69%). No significant differences were found when the presence of ischemia on exercise test was compared with multivessel coronary disease, complex ventricular arrhythmias on electrocardiographic monitoring, and the finding of an ejection fraction lower than 60% on echocardiography (p = 0.56), as well as with the presence of multivessel lesions, complex ventricular arrhythmias on electrocardiographic monitoring and abnormal ejection fraction on echocardiography (p = 0.36). CONCLUSION: The presence of ischemia during exercise testing was associated with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias on electrocardiographic monitoring, with reduced ejection fraction on echocardiography, as well as with the presence of multivessel coronary lesions, which constitutes an indicator of a high coronary risk.

Teste ergométrico precoce após infarto do miocárdio: comparação com ecocardiograma, monitorização eletrocardiográfica e arteriografia coronariana / Exercise testing early after myocardial infarction: comparison with echocardiography, electrocardiographic monitoring and coronary arteriography

FUNDAMENTO: O teste ergométrico precoce após infarto do miocárdio, realizado antes da alta hospitalar, é útil na estratificação de risco, na prescrição de exercício e na avaliação do prognóstico e do tratamento. OBJETIVO: O objetivo deste estudo foi comparar os achados do teste ergométrico precoce pós-infarto aos resultados do ecocardiograma, da monitorização eletrocardiográfica pelo sistema holter (24 horas) e da cinecoronariografia. MÉTODOS: Avaliaram-se 60 casos (51,42 ± 9,34 anos), 46 do sexo masculino (77 por cento). O teste ergométrico foi máximo sintoma limitante, realizado pelo protocolo de Naughton, entre o sexto dia de internação e a alta hospitalar, realizado em uso de medicação. Durante a internação, os pacientes foram submetidos a ecocardiograma, eletrocardiografia dinâmica e cinecoronariografia. Adotou-se o nível de significância de 0,05 (a=5 por cento). RESULTADOS: O desempenho do teste ergométrico na detecção de doença coronária multiarterial foi reduzido (sensibilidade, 42 por cento; especificidade, 69 por cento). Não houve diferenças significativas quando se comparou a presença de isquemia no teste ergométrico com doença coronária de múltiplos vasos, arritmias ventriculares complexas na eletrocardiografia dinâmica e ocorrência de fração de ejeção inferior a 60 por cento no ecocardiograma (p = 0,56), bem como com a presença de lesões multiarteriais, arritmias ventriculares complexas na eletrocardiografia dinâmica e fração de ejeção anormal no ecocardiograma (p = 0,36). CONCLUSÃO: Durante o teste, a presença de isquemia se associou à ocorrência de arritmias ventriculares na eletrocardiografia dinâmica, à redução da fração de ejeção no ecocardiograma e à presença de lesões coronárias multiarteriais, o que representou um indicador de elevado risco coronário.

BACKGROUND: Predischarge exercise testing early after myocardial infarction is useful for risk stratification, exercise prescription, and assessment of prognosis and treatment. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to compare the findings of exercise testing early after myocardial infarction with those of echocardiography, electrocardiographic monitoring (24-hour Holter monitoring) and coronary angiography. METHODS: We evaluated 60 cases (mean age of 51.42 ± 9.34 years), of which 46 were males (77 percent). The symptom-limited maximal exercise test according to the Naughton protocol12 was performed between the sixth day of hospitalization and hospital discharge, with the patients on medication. During hospitalization, the patients underwent echocardiography, electrocardiographic monitoring and coronary angiography. The significance level was set at 0.05 (a = 5 percent). RESULTS: Exercise testing had a poor performance in the detection of multivessel coronary artery disease (sensitivity, 42 percent; specificity, 69 percent). No significant differences were found when the presence of ischemia on exercise test was compared with multivessel coronary disease, complex ventricular arrhythmias on electrocardiographic monitoring, and the finding of an ejection fraction lower than 60 percent on echocardiography (p = 0.56), as well as with the presence of multivessel lesions, complex ventricular arrhythmias on electrocardiographic monitoring and abnormal ejection fraction on echocardiography (p = 0.36). CONCLUSION: The presence of ischemia during exercise testing was associated with the occurrence of ventricular arrhythmias on electrocardiographic monitoring, with reduced ejection fraction on echocardiography, as well as with the presence of multivessel coronary lesions, which constitutes an indicator of a high coronary risk.

Role of dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography in prognostic evaluation of 300 women.

BACKGROUND: Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography (DASE) is a safe and accurate method to diagnose coronary artery disease (CAD), and can identify individuals at high risk for cardiac events such as myocardial infarction and cardiac-related death. The literature is limited regarding the prognostic value of DASE in women. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to determine the prognostic value of DASE in 300 women with known or suspected CAD. RESULTS: The 300 women underwent DASE and were followed up for 65 months (mean: 27 months). Ninety-five women had positive tests and 205 had negative tests. We demonstrated that women with negative tests had a 94% hard-event-free survival rate at follow-up (myocardial infarction and death), and in those with positive tests the event-free survival rate was 27% (P = 0.0003). The difference between women with positive and negative tests was also significant when minor events and total events were considered. Women with positive tests had 16.7 times more chance of having events than women with negative tests. Furthermore, women with positive tests but without cardiac events at follow-up (mean of peak WMSI - rest WMSI = 0.24 +/- 0.16) had less ischemic myocardium than women with positive tests and cardiac events at follow-up (mean of peak WMSI - rest WMSI = 0.34 +/- 0.26)(P < 0.04). CONCLUSION: Dobutamine-atropine stress echocardiography has good prognostic value for cardiac events in women. Women with negative tests have low probability for follow-up infarction or death. Women with positive tests and higher severity of induced ischemia have the highest incidence of cardiac events.