Frequency of Left Ventricular Thrombus in ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction Patients Treated with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention

Abstract

Background: In the current era mortality is very high due to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) worldwide. One of the most dangerous complications is the formation of left ventricular(LV)  thrombus, especially after STEMI, and is considered a major high-risk factor for morbidity and mortality. Although nowadays with primary percutaneous coronary intervention its incidence is reduced but still significant.

Objective: To determine the frequency of left ventricular thrombus in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study done at the Department of Cardiology, National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease (NICVD), Karachi from October 3, 2021, to April 2, 2022. Patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were able to give informed consent were enrolled. Primary PCI was performed by a consultant cardiologist and post PPCI all the patients were observed, and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was performed to assess the left ventricular thrombus. The data was collected on predesigned proforma.

 Results: Mean ± SD of age was 59.39±14.79 years. In the distribution of gender, 101 (73.7%) were male while 36 (26.3%) were female. Left ventricular thrombus was noted in 24 (17.5%) patients.

Conclusion: It is to be concluded that ventricular thrombus is prevalent after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for STEMI patients. Further large-scale work is recommended for the validation of current findings.