An Atypical Presentation of Acute Coronary Syndrome

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Syed Khurram Mushtaq Gardezi ◽  

A 61-year-old man was admitted to hospital with severe occipital headache and weakness and numbness of the left arm. His electrocardiograms showed changes hinting at acute coronary syndrome (ACS). However, in view of his clinical presentation, he underwent tests for likely subarachnoid haemorrhage, but this was ruled out. The next day, he was referred to cardiology. A transthoracic echocardiogram showed reduced left ventricular systolic function along with regional wall motion abnormalities involving inferoposterior walls. The patient was treated as per the protocol for ACS. A dobutamine stress echocardiogram confirmed inferior myocardial infarction with evidence of myocardial viability in the affected left ventricular segments. Subsequent investigations confirmed three-vessel coronary artery disease and reduced left ventricular systolic function. The patient underwent successful coronary artery bypass grafting.

Author(s):  
Vasileios Ntinopoulos ◽  
Nestoras Papadopoulos ◽  
Dragan Odavic ◽  
Achim Haeussler ◽  
Omer Dzemali

Abstract Background Controversy exists about left ventricular systolic function recovery after coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. The aim of this study is to evaluate the temporal evolvement of left ventricular systolic function after coronary artery bypass surgery in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Patients and Methods A total of 50 patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) ≤35% underwent isolated coronary artery bypass grafting in a single center in the period 2017 to 2019. We performed a retrospective analysis of the echocardiographic and clinical follow-up data at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively. Results Median LVEF preoperatively was 25% (20–33%), mean patient age was 66 ± 8.2 years, 33 (66%) patients were operated off-pump, and 22 (44%) procedures were non-elective. There was no in-hospital myocardial infarction, stroke, and repeat revascularization. Three (6%) patients underwent re-exploration for bleeding or tamponade. In-hospital mortality was 8% and 1-year mortality was 12%. At 1 year postoperatively, there was no repeat revascularization, no myocardial infarction, 1 (2.6%) patient had a transient ischemic attack, and 10 (20%) patients required an implantable defibrillator. There was a statistically significant median ejection fraction increase at 3 months (15% [5–22%], p < 0.0001) and 1 year (23% [13–25%], p < 0.0001) postoperatively, with an absolute increase ≥10% in 32 (74.4%) and 30 (78.9%) patients at 3 months and 1 year, respectively. Conclusion Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery show continuous recovery of left ventricular systolic function in the first postoperative year.


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