CARDIOVASCULAR MEDICINE Can coronary flow velocity reserve determined by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography predict the recovery of regional left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction?

Objective: To determine whether the early assessment of coronary flow velocity reserve (CFVR) by transthoracic Doppler echocardiography (TTDE) can predict myocardial viability after revascularisation in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Methods: 29 patients with anterior acute myocardial infarction who were successfully treated by coronary angioplasty were studied. TTDE was used to record coronary flow velocities in the distal left anterior descending artery at rest and during hyperaemia induced by intravenous infusion of adenosine triphosphate. CFVR was calculated immediately and 24 hours after revascularisation and at discharge. Regional wall motion was analysed to calculate the anterior wall motion score index (A-WMSI) by two dimensional echocardiography before revascularisation and at discharge. Results: CFVR immediately and 24 hours after revascularisation correlated significantly with A-WMSI at discharge (r = −0.58, p < 0.001 and r = −0.80, p < 0.0001, respectively). CFVR 24 hours after revascularisation was a better predictor of recovery of regional left ventricular function than CFVR immediately after revascularisation. The optimal cut off ratio for predicting viable myocardium was 1.5 for CFVR 24 hours after revascularisation (sensitivity = 94%, specificity = 91%). Conclusions: CFVR by TTDE was useful for predicting the recovery of left ventricular function after revascularisation in patients with acute myocardial infarction