Clinical observations were done on seventy-nine cases of myocardial infarction seen at the Daegu Fatima Hospital from January 1967 to September 1973, and the following results were obtained.
Of 79 cases of myocardial infarction, acute myocardial infarction was present in 46 cases and old myocardial infarction was present -in 33 cases. The incidence of myocardial infarction was much higher in the male; the male to fema e ratio being, approximately 4:1 in acute myocardial infarction and 3:1 in old myocardial infarction.
The patients with acute myocar.ial infarction ranged in age from twenty-seven to seventy-four years and the fifth, sixth and even decades of age accounted for about four fifth of all cases, whereas four cases were below the age of forty years.
Among the symptoms and signs, precordial pain was noted in 82.6% of acute myocardial infarction and in 15.2% of old myocardial infarction, whereas congestive heart failure was inted in 23.9% of acute myocardial infarction and in 66.7% of old myocardial infarction.
As associated diseases, hypertension was present in 40.5%, diabetes mellitus in 8.9% and chronic pulmonary disease in 6.3% of patients with myocardial infarction.
The location of myocardial infarction as determined by electrocardiogram was predominantly in the anterior wall; the ratio of aterior to posterior wall being. approximately 3. 5 : 1.
Among the associated electrocadiogrraphic abnormalities in the patients with acute myocardial infarction, atrial premature contraction was seen in 10.9%, ventricular premature contraction in 23.9%, atrial fibrillation in 4.3%, first degree atrioventricular block in 8.7%, Q-T interval prolongation, in 41.3% and left ventricular hypertrophy in 21.7% of the cases.
The mortality rate in the patients with acute myocardial infarction was 19.6% and seven case´s out of nine fatal cases died within one week from the onset.
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