Echocardiographic findings in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Echocardiographic examination of patients with acute transmural myocardial infarction (MI) is a means for detecting a local contraction disturbance in the affected myocardial zone on the very first day, in agreement with electrocardiographic localization of the infarction. The disturbance intensifies within the subsequent 48 hours; in the third week the function indicators measured exhibit certain improvements, but still do not normalize completely. The local disturbance is more severe in patients with clinical symptoms of left heart failure. On the 3rd day the ejection fraction in patients with heart failure was markedly reduced. The study offers another approach to the evaluation of the dynamics of the left ventricular function in acute MI. In clinical practice echocardiography might contribute to fast and safe diagnosis of severe complications of acute MI, such as papillary muscle dysfunction or rupture, septal rupture, and pericardial effusion, and to assess the effect of certain agents administered for controlling myocardial contraction.