Quantitative study of infarcted myocardium in cardiogenic shock.

A post-mortem study of the heart was performed in 20 patients dying of cardiogenic shock. The extent of infarcted myocardium was defined by using a mitochondrial dehydrogenase stain nitro-BT which allowed macroscopical recognition of tissue death as early as 12 hours. Extensive myocardial injury was found to accompany cardiogenic shock predominantly affecting the left ventricle and the interventricular septum. Severe atheromatous involvement of the coronary arteries was noted.