Myocardial infarction with and without laboratory documentation--one year prognosis.

This retrospective study indicates that patients admitted to our CCU with a history typical for myocardial infarction appear to have a comparable in-hospital mortality rate after 48 hours, a comparable one-year mortality rate, and a comparable incidence of recurrent myocardial infarction during the first year, whether or not they develop confirmatory ECG or serum enzyme changes. Patients with chest pain typical of myocardial infarction, who fail to develop confirmatory ECG or serum enzyme changes, would appear to require the same care and follow-up as do those patients admitted with chest pain who do develop such ECG or serum enzyme changes.