Assessment of clinical course of myocardial infarction complicated by atrioventricular conduction disorders

The aim of the study was to assess the clinical course of myocardial infarction complicated by atrioventricular conduction disorders. The patient group consisted of 155 subjects, 117 men and 38 women, aged 31-91 (mean = 61 years). Analysis included the type and frequency of AV conduction disorders with respect to the infarct site and size, the presence of complications, therapy used with particular consideration of temporary electrical stimulation. AV conduction disorders were found in 15.8% of patients with myocardial infarction. They were found significantly more frequently in those with the inferior myocardial infarction. The patients with the infarction complicated by AV conduction disorders showed more extensive myocardial necrosis, with the degree of the block correlating with the infarct size, more frequent occurrence of such complications as cardiogenic shock, pulmonary edema. Despite the use of electrical stimulation the mortality rate in the myocardial infarction complicated by complete AV block was high, reaching 50.7%.