Thirty-year trends (1975-2005) in the magnitude and hospital death rates associated with complete heart block in patients with acute myocardial infarction: A population-based perspective

Abstract

Background-The contemporary magnitude and prognostic implications of complete heart block (CHB) in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) are unknown. As part of a communitybased study of patients hospitalized with AMI in the Worcester, Massachusetts, metropolitan area, changes over time in the incidence rates of CHB complicating AMI, and the prognostic impact of CHB on short-term survival, were examined.

High-degree atrioventricular block complicating ST segment elevation myocardial infarction in the contemporary era

“…As for all other complications of STEMI, rates of HAVB decreased in recent years 8. However, it remains a common complication after STEMI as it occurred in 3.5% of our study cohort of 6662 patients.…”

“…High-degree atrioventricular block (HAVB) is a common complication of STEMI that is reported in 2.7% to 14% of patients3–7 according to definitions of HAVB and location of wall-necrosis in previous studies. Similarly to other complications, rate of HAVB has been shown to be decreasing over time,8 however the presence of HAVB in the acute phase of STEMI is known to be associated with an increased inhospital mortality regardless of reperfusion therapy 6 9–11…”

Influence of Second- and Third-Degree Heart Block on 30-Day Outcome Following Acute Myocardial Infarction in the Drug-Eluting Stent Era

“…Similar to the situation in patients with an anterior MI, when this conduction disturbance occurs in the setting of a large infarct, excess mortality will be expected, but heart block can also occur in much smaller inferior MI. 12 Despite complete recovery from heart block, lower rate of b-blocker utilization in patients with heart block compared with those without might reflect physician's concern for the development of significant bradycardia.…”

Frequency of Complete Atrioventricular Block Complicating ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction in Patients Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

“…Thrombolytic treatment for STEMI did not decrease the incidence of CAVB [6,10] and, regardless of successful reperfusion with thrombolytics, patients with CAVB had higher rates of in-hospital complications, mortality rates, and length of stay when compared to patients without CAVB [2,3,14,15].…”