Cardiokymographic wall motion pattern in patients with acute myocardial infarction

We studied 50 patients with acute myocardial infarction by cardiokymography to record anterior left ventricular wall motion. Systolic outward motion was observed in 46 of 50 patients (92%). Holosystolic outward motion was characteristic of acute anterior infarction (93%) and acute subendocardial infarction (89%) but was less common in acute inferior infarction (29%). Partial systolic outward motion was seen in 8 of the 14 patients with acute inferior infarction, but only in 2 of 36 patients with acute anterior and subendocardial infarction. Cardiokymographic abnormalities were seen in more precordial locations in acute anterior (80%) and subendocardial infarction (97%) than in inferior infarction (74%). Holosystolic outward motion was seen in 75% of all locations in acute anterior and subendocardial infarction and only in 23% in acute inferior infarction. Thus both the extent and the severity of abnormal systolic outward motion clearly separated inferior infarction from anterior and subendocardial infarction. Dynamic changes in wall motion contraction patterns were observed during the course of acute myocardial infarction; both improvement and deterioration were observed. Cardiokymography is a simple, non-invasive method to assess changes in left ventricular segmental wall motion in patients with acute myocardial infarction.