Background: The potential benefits of direct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) on malignant arrhythmias in the hospital phase of acute myocardial infarction have not yet been established.
Methods: We prospectively investigated the incidence and timing of major arrhythmias occurring during direct PTCA and within 24 hours of mechanical reperfusion in 90 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction undergoing successful direct PTCA within 12 hours of symptom onset.
Results: Ventricular fibrillation and complete atrioventricular block occurred exclusively during direct PTCA and both resolved in the catheterization laboratory. Holter monitoring showed that ventricular tachyarrhythmias, such as runs of more than 3 extrasystoles, were detectable only during the first 8 hours after direct PTCA.
Conclusions: In our group of patients undergoing successful direct PTCA, no in-hospital life-threatening arrhythmias occurred after this procedure.