An electrocardiographic acuteness score for quantifying the timing of a myocardial infarction to guide decisions regarding reperfusion therapy

The method of determining the acuteness score presented in the present study is suggested for use in automated electrocardiographic analysis systems. A potential use of the acuteness score is in combination with historical timing as a guideline for decisions regarding thrombolytic therapy. Patients with an acuteness score above a certain threshold and a brief time from symptom onset may benefit most from thrombolytic therapy. The relation between the levels of acuteness score and the quantity of myocardium salvaged was not determined in the present study because no measure of salvage was available in this population. A future study is suggested in which this relation is determined. An additional use of the acuteness score may be to assess myocardial reperfusion and salvage by examining the time course of progression in score between the ECGs before and sequentially after administration of thrombolytic therapy.