ADMISSION STANDARD ELECTROCARDIOGRAM FOR EARLY RISK STRATIFICATION IN PATIENTS WITH ACUTE CORONARY ARTERY DISEASE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ACUTE REVASCULARIZATION THERAPY

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic significance of a single electrocardiogram obtained early after admission to the hospital in patients suspected of acute coronary syndromes (non-ST-segment elevation and unstable angina pectoris) in the early prediction of the occurrence of cardiac events during the follow up period. Our study population compromised a total of30 patients referred to the Coronary Care Unit at the Cardiology Department, Ain Shams University Hospital. Patients were enrolled in the study over a period of six months starting from October, 2001. The study included all consecutive patients admitted with unstable angina or non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, who met the following criterion: The presence of typical chest discomfort (?30 minutes) believed to be ischemic in nature and having an unstable pattern of pain, consisting of either rest pain, new onset, severe, frequent angina or accelerating angina. All patients included in this study were subjected to a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram after admission. From the results of admission ECG findings, the patients were divided into 3 groups on the basis of ST-T changes: Group I : Patients with normal ECG. Group II: Patients with T-wave inversion. Group III: Patients with ST-segment depression.