Prognostic Significance of the Initial Electrocardiographic Pattern in a First Acute Anterior Wall Myocardial lnfarction

terminal portion of the QRS. The mortality was 0, 3 percent, and 29 percent in groups A, B, and C, respectively (x2 22.91; p 0). By using a logistic regression model, it was found that the initial ECG pattern alone is a strong predictor of in-hospital mortality in patients with an evolving anterior wall AM!. The predicted probabilities of death in groups A, B, and C are 0.0016, 0.025, and 0.29, respectively. This simple classification of the initial ECG pattern in patients with a first AM! ofthe anterior wall may enable the differentiation of patients with low in-hospital mortality (groups A and B) and of those with an in-hospital mortality of almost 30 percent (group C). (Chest 1993; 103:1681-87)