Effect of intraaortic balloon pumping on left ventricular function in patients with persistent ST segment elevation...

The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact of intraaortic balloon pumping (IABP) in patients with persistent ST elevation who underwent revascularization within 6 h of their first acute anterior myocardial infarction (AMI). Persistent ST elevation after revascularization was defined as being > or =50% of the initial value on return to the coronary care unit. Twenty-four patients were treated without IABP (control group) and 27 patients were treated with IABP (IABP group). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in pretreatment left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), end-diastolic volume index or end-systolic volume index. After 137+/-46 days, the change in the LVEF was significantly higher in the IABP group than in the control group (5+/-13% vs 13+/-15%, p=0.04). However, the left ventricular end-diastolic volume index was similar between the 2 groups during follow-up (pretreatment: 77+/-19 ml/m(2) vs 74+/-13 ml/m(2), p=0.54; follow-up: 86+/-22 ml/m(2) vs 83+/-18 ml/m(2), p=0.60). These data suggest that IABP enhances the improvement in LVEF independent of remodeling in AMI patients with persistent ST elevation after revascularization.