Prediction of serious post-infarction cardiac arrhythmias

Simple clinical findings suggestive of a large myocardial infarction identify most patients at risk from serious post-infarction arrhythmias (defined as sustained ventricular tachycardia and sudden death not associated with reinfarction). However, similar findings are seen in many other patients who remain free of complications. The presence of late potentials and frequent ventricular ectopics on long-term electrocardiographic monitoring add to prognostic accuracy in patients with clinical complications, with a predictive accuracy of nearly 90% when all three features are present.