Background: The main cause of death globally is acute myocardial infarction (AMI), specifically acute coronary syndrome (ACS). In the setting of acute myocardial infarction, right ventricular (RV) infarction has a greater risk of adverse outcomes.
Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the right ventricular function in patients with an acute anterior myocardial infarction.
Patients and methods: This case control study included 60 participants who were divided into two groups; group 1 included 30 patients with acute anterior myocardial infarction (first attack and within 1-12 hours of symptoms onset), and group 2 (control group) included 30 age and gender matched group with no MI. All patients with acute anterior MI were managed by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).
Results: Compared to control group, we found that the mean RIMP was significantly higher in the MI group (0.50 ± 0.081 vs 0.28 ± 0.043, p < 0.001), mean TAPSE was significantly lower in the MI group (1.76 ± 0.391 cm vs 2.38 ± 0.420 cm, p ˂ 0.001), mean fractional area change was significantly lower in the MI group (32.34 ± 3.625 % vs 48.00 ± 5.350 %, p ˂ 0.001), mean DTI-derived tricuspid lateral annular systolic velocity was significantly lower in the MI group (11.091 ± 2.0334 cm/s vs 13.077 ± 3.0285 cm/s, p= 0.014), and mean right ventricle strain was significantly lower in the MI group (-16.47 ± 3.246 vs -26.83 ± 2.276, p ˂ 0.001).
Conclusion: Echocardiographic RV function parameters are significantly lower in the setting of acute anterior MI compared to controls denoting more RV dysfunction among this group of patients.