Clinical manifestations of right ventricle involvement in inferior myocardial infarction

Early diagnosis of right ventricle (RV) involvement in inferior myocardial infarction (Inf MI) is very critical. This study was performed to evaluate the clinical findings of Inf MI with or without RV infarction.

From September 2010 to September 2012, 195 patients with definite diagnosis of Inf MI were evaluated in the Department of Cardiology, in Babol, north of Iran. The presence or absence of right ventricular infarction was evaluated by ST elevation in preicordial V3R-V4R leads. Chest pain (CP), changes in electrocardiography (ECG), serum level of Troponin T (TnT), decreased level of consciousness, hypotension, and jugular vein prominence (JVP) in patients with and without RV involvement were noted.

One hundred forty eight (95 males and 53 females) and 47 (31 males and 16 females) cases developed Inf MI without and with RV infarction, respectively. The mean age of the patients with and without RV infarction were 60.59±12.9 and 60.9±12.2 years, respectively (P=0.883). CP, decreased consciousness, hypotension, and JVP were seen in 147 (99.3%), 1 (0.7%), 1 (0.7%) and 1 (0.7%) patients without RV involvement and in 44 (93.6%), 9 (19.1%), 27 (54.4%) and 9 (19.1) in RV involvement, respectively (p<0.05). No significant differences were seen in ThT enzymes and ECG changes.

The results show that chest pain, decrease of consciousness, hypotension, JVP prominence are more frequent in inferior MI with RV involvement patients.