DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i07.028

Pages: 2574-2582

Acute myocardial infarction continues to be a major public health problem in the competitive stressful world. About 50 percent of the deaths associated with acute myocardial infarction occur within one hour of the event and are attributable to arrhythmias, most often ventricular fibrillation. 100 cases of acute myocardial infarction admitted to intensive coronary care unit were selected for this study. Patients were studied with special reference to arrhythmias occurring during first week of acute myocardial infarction. Study protocol included detailed clinical history, clinical examination and investigations. 89% of patients had one or the other risk factors for ischemic heart disease. The most common risk factor was smoking (50%), followed by hypertension (49%) and hyperlipedemia (48%). Arrhythmias were more common in anterior wall myocardial infarction. Sinus tachycardia, ventricular premature beats, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation were common in anterior wall myocardial infarction. Most of arrhythmias (82.6%) appeared within 48 hours after acute myocardial infarction. Incidence of arrhythmias was higher in those with multiple risk factors. Arrhythmias contributed for 33.3% of total mortality. Among arrhythmias highest mortality rate was seen with ventricular fibrillation (100%). As arrhythmias, particularly ventricular arrhythmias, in anterior wall myocardial infarction, associated with multiple risk factors are more common and also mortality rate is high in this group, prophylaxis for ventricular arrhythmias is justifiable for patients of acute myocardial infarction with multiple risk factors.