Impact of effective reperfusion therapy on high resolution signal averaged electrocardiography after myocardial infarction

In 120 consecutive patients with a first myocardial infarction the authors evaluated the impact of effective reperfusion therapy, as estimated by noninvasive techniques, over the development of ventricular late potentials using signal averaged electrocardiography. 62% of patients received fibrinolysis. Late potentials were present in 32.5%. There were no differences regarding the site of infarction (anterior 28.3%, inferior 37.7%, p=n.s.) and the administration of thrombolytic therapy (30% T-yes, 37% T-no, p=n.s.). Instead, late potentials were less frequently detected in patients with evidence of effective reperfusion (26% versus 47%, p=0.003), mainly in anterior wall infarction (14% versus 44%, p<0.005), while no differences were observed in inferior infarcts. Effective reperfusion therapy prevents the development of an arrhythmogenic substrate after AMI.