Risk stratification in patients with non Q wave myocardial infarction: a role for thallium exercise testing

The ability of maximal exercise thallium testing to stratify patients after non Q wave myocardial infarction was prospectively examined in 20 patients. Patients were enrolled in the study if there was no evidence of residual ischemia nor congestive heart failure during initial hospitalization. The thallium exercise test showed four patients to be at high risk, three of whom had successful revascularization. The remaining 16 patients were considered to be at low risk. There were no re-admissions for unstable angina, no myocardial infarctions and no deaths in the follow-up period (average 15 months). Thus patients with no evidence of early ischemia, no signs of left ventricular failure and a negative maximum thallium exercise test are at low risk following non Q wave myocardial infarction.