Impaired coronary flow reserve immediately after coronary angioplasty in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Objective - To examine coronary flow reserve immediately after emergency coronary angioplasty in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Design - A 3 F coronary Doppler catheter was used to measure coronary blood flow velocity in the infarct artery and in the non-infarct artery. Maximal hyperaemia was produced by 10 mg of intracoronary papaverine and coronary flow reserve was calculated. Patients-11 patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing both emergency coronary angioplasty (4.7 (3.6) h after the onset of chest pain (mean (SD)) and at follow up catheterisation 16 (4) daysf after angioplasty. Setting - Hiroshima City Hospital. Results - There was no stenosis of ≥50% in the coronary artery of interest. Immediately after coronary angioplasty the mean (1 SD) coronary flow reserve of the infarct artery was significantly less than that of the non-infarct artery 91.4 (0.4) v 2.8 (0.8), p < 0.001). At follow up catheterisation in the coronary flow reserve of the infarct artery increased almost to the value of the non-infarct artery (2.8 (1.2) v 3.1 (0.8) p = NS). Conclusion - The coronary flow reserve in the infarct region was severely impaired immediately after reperfusion, even with a widely patent infarct artery. This could restrict the beneficial effects of reperfusion therapy, especially when there is a severe residual stenosis.