Ventricular Late Potentials and Degree of Reperfusion of the Infarct-Related Artery

Background: Patency of the infarct-related artery is known to be a powerful determinant of the prognosis after AMI. Most studies have reported a lower incidence of late potentials from patients treated with thrombolytic agents than patients not so treated. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of ventricular late potentials in the first week after AM1 to differentiate patients according to the TIMI flow in the infarct-related artery. Material and Methods: In 106 patients with AMI, we recorded three determinations of late potentials with filters of 25, 40, and 80-250 Hz, at 24, 72, and 144 hours after the onset of symptoms. Classification was based on the angiography study: group I with TIM1 0-1 and group I1 with TIMI 2-3. Results: We found a low positive predictive power in TIMI 0-1 (around 50%) for all records and filters. The negative predictive value was high (72%-93%) and increased with time from the AM1 and frequency of the filter. The most sensitive filter was 80-250 Hz and the most specific was 25-250 Hz. The duration of the QRSf and LAS40 was longer and the RAMS were lower in the patients with diminished TIMI flow. Conclusion: The absence of late potentials is associated with a better TIMI flow in the artery.