Comparative rates of resolution of QRS changes after operative and nonoperative acute myocardial infarcts

An independently developed and previously validated QRS scoring system for estimating myocardial infarct size has been used to compare the development and regression of changes associated with myocardial infarcts occurring in 2 different clinical settings. It is known that QRS changes suggesting myocardial infarction occur after coronary artery bypass grafting. This study compares the magnitudes and time courses of these QRS changes in 40 patients with the QRS changes observed in a control group of 46 patients with nonoperative acute myocardial infarcts. Only patients in both groups who had a baseline electrocardiogram (ECG) with no evidence of previous myocardial infarcts, ventricular hypertrophy, or bundle branch block were included. Both groups attained similar peak QRS scores during the acute phase but different rates of resolution of scores were observed. During the subsequent 2 months, regression of QRS changes occurred more rapidly in the perioperative group than in the control group (43 versus 19%). Rates of regression were similar in both groups during the remainder of the follow-up period, attaining total decreases of 62% in the operative group and 37% in the nonoperative group by 18 months. These results could mean either that factors other than acute infarction are responsible for the perioperative QRS changes or that the infarct healing process in the 2 clinical settings are quite different.