T-wave normalization during follow-up after early and late mechanical recanalization of infarct-related artery with and without stent implantation

The aim of this study was to evaluate T-wave normalization during the 6-month follow-up in the patients who underwent early or late mechanical recanalization of the infarct-related artery with and without stent implantation. A total of 248 consecutive patients were divided into the following groups: early angioplasty (≤24 hours) without (n=114) or with stents (n=6) and late angioplasty (>24 hours) without (n=114) or with stents (n=14). The changes in T-wave recovery, QRS score, and echocardiographic left ventricular ejection fraction were compared between the groups. At 3 months, a greater percentage of patients in the group of early angioplasty with stents had again positive T wave than in the group of early angioplasty without stents (75% vs. 35%, P=0.05). After 6 months, all patients in the group of early angioplasty with stents had again positive T wave. A significant increase in left ventricular ejection fraction after 3 months was also observed only in the groups of early angioplasty, especially that with stents (30.0% [SD, 3.5%] vs. 38.4% [SD, 5.2%], P=0.008). However, there was no significant difference in the QRS score in this group comparing the data at discharge and after 3 months (5.4 [SD, 4.3] vs. 5.0 [SD, 1.9], P>0.05). The group of early angioplasty with stents showed the best recovery of T wave and left ventricular ejection fraction, but the QRS score did not change significantly from discharge to the 3-month follow-up, so the evolution of T wave corresponded to an improvement in ejection fraction at follow-up better than the evolution of QRS score.