Myocardial infarction on the ICU: Can we do better?

Abstract

Myocardial infarction remains a major cause of death despite contemporary therapeutic strategies. Diagnosis in the intensive care unit is challenging, but is essential to target therapy accurately. In this issue of Critical Care Lim and colleagues present the results of a prospective non-interventional screening study for acute myocardial infarction in patients admitted to the intensive care unit. Myocardial infarction is observed to occur frequently, often without being clinically apparent, with a high associated mortality. Such approaches may facilitate accurate diagnosis of myocardial infarction in this setting, hence opening the way to improved therapy. © 2008 BioMed Central Ltd.