Prognosis after Hospitalization for Suspected Myocardial Infarction

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
To the Editor: The high risk of future cardiovascular complications observed in patients in whom myocardial infarction was ruled out after admission to a coronary-care unit supports the contention of Schroeder et al. (July 3 issue) that many of these patients may have had minor infarctions undetected as a result of the clinical and laboratory criteria in use. A diagnosis of myocardial infarction was established only when both total creatine kinase (CK) and the CK-MB fraction exceeded the upper limit of the reference interval in the presence of a recent, appropriate electrocardiographic abnormality. It is not clear whether isoenzyme analysis . . .