Impact of mechanical reperfusion on clinical outcome in elderly patients with right ventricular infarction

BACKGROUNDPrevious reports suggest that elderly patients with acute right ventricular infarction suffer in-hospital mortality of 50% and that hemodynamic compromise is irreversible. We hypothesized that mechanical reperfusion would improve such outcomes. METHODSWe retrospectively analyzed in-hospital morbidity and mortality in 54 patients >70 years of age with acute inferior myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty. The presence of right ventricular infarction was determined by a two dimensional echocardiogram. RESULTSOverall, 18 (33%) patients had inferior myocardial infarction and right ventricular infarction, whereas 36 (67%) patients had inferior myocardial infarction alone. All patients with inferior myocardial infarction alone were successfully reperfused, whereas one patient with right ventricular infarction suffered reperfusion failure. Right ventricular infarction patients more commonly suffered hemodynamic and arrhythmic complications (hypotension in 33 vs. 2.8%, P