[Evaluation of the external respiratory and lesser circulatory function in acute postinfarct cardiac aneurysm]

The function of pulmonary respiration was studied in 28 patients with acute postinfarction aneurysms of the heart, in 20 normal individuals and in 25 patients with transmural myocardial infarction non-complicated by by cardiac aneurysm. A comparative analysis of the obtained data has shown that patients with acute postinfarction aneurysms of the heart have more severe pulmonary respiration disorders than those with transmural myocardial infarctions. The degree of these disorders grows in accordance with the degree of circulation insufficiency. The authors believe the main cause of such pulmonary respiration disorders in cardiac aneurysms to consist in a reduced contractile capacity of the heart muscle with subsequent disturbances in the intracardiac haemodynamics and the development of pulmonary hypertension. The authors recommend to take into account the degree of pulmonary respiration disorders when determining the vital and occupational prognosis, as well as the indications for a surgical management of this complication of myocardial infarction.