Left Ventricular Function in Acute Myocardial Infarction Evaluated by Gated Scintiphotography

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Abstract
Ten normal volunteers and 38 patients with acute myocardial infarction were evaluated by biplane gated blood pool scanning. The mean left ventricular end-diastolic volume in those with infarction was 125 ± 41 ml/m2 compared to 82 ± 10 ml/m2 in the normals. The left ventricular end-systolic volume was 82 ± 35 ml/m2 compared to 35 ± 4 ml/m2, and the left ventricular ejection fraction 36 ± 8% compared to 56 ± 3% in the normals. Thirty-six of the 38 patients with infarction had an area of akinesis which ranged from 15 to 59% of the left ventricular wall. Patients with acute myocardial infarction were found to have a significant increase in left ventricular end-systolic volume and decrease in ejection fraction compared to normals. The end-diastolic volume was, however, increased only in those with an elevated left ventricular filling pressure or decreased cardiac index. Follow-up studies obtained in 20 patients between one week and three months following infarction showed that in the 14 who improved clinically...