Myocardial Infarction

To elucidate the clinical characteristics associated with pericardial effusion in the early phase of myocardial infarction, 330 patients with acute Q wave infarction were studied. According to echocardiography, 83 patients had pericardial effusion on the third day of hospitalization, and careful auscultation revealed that a pericardial rub was absent in 45 patients and was present in 38 patients. Based on seven clinical variables, multivariate analysis was performed to determine the important variables related to the occurrence of pericardial effusion with and without pericardial rub. Pulmonary capillary wedge pressure and left ventricular segments with advanced asynergy were the significant factors related to the occurrence of pericardial effusion without a pericardial rub. The presence of ventricular aneurysmal motion, left ventricular segments with advanced asynergy, and alveolar arterial oxygen diflerence were related to pericardial effusion with a pericardial rub. Therefore, a hemodynamic factor was the major mechanism associated with the increase in extravascular myocardial fluid and the consequent occurrence of hydropericardia in the absence of a pericardial rub, whereas an increase in the microvascular permeability in the myocardium with excessive fluid exudating through the irritated epicardial surface was the mechanism related to pericardial effusion with a pericardial rub in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction. (Circulation 1990;81:477-481)