[Significance of ventricular extrasystole found in myocardial infarct patients in the late hospital phase for the vital prognosis].

A total of 540 patients with myocardial infarction were studied 4 weeks after the inception of acute myocardial infarction with the aid of a portable monitor recording ECG on a magnetic tape. There were 44 cases of death, including 31 sudden (within 6 hours) deaths. Untoward results were seen with early and volley ventricular extrasystolae. The prognostic significance of the polytopic and paired ventricular extrasystolae depended on angina pectoris of effort. A group of patients differing by the degree of risk of sudden death has been isolated. Cases of sudden coronary death were seen more often in the group of patients with complicated ventricular extrasystolae.