A patient's risk for short term mortality following an acute myocardial infarction can be quickly assessed by looking for a limited number of risk factors. This can help in evaluating a patient for thrombolytic therapy.
Patient Selection: Patients with pulmonary edema or cardiogenic shock were excluded, as known high risk.
Patient Management: All patients received intravenous recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator within 4 hours of chest pain onset.
Risk Factor
Mortality Rate at 6 Weeks for Risk Factor
age >= 70 years of age
11.2%
history of previous infarction
7.9%
evidence of anterior infarction on ECG
5.6%
atrial fibrillation
10.6%
rales in more than one third of lung fields
12.4%
hypotension (systolic pressure < 100 mm Hg) and sinus tachycardia (heart rate > 100 beats per minute)
10.1%
female gender
7.1%
diabetes mellitus
8.5%
Interpretation
Number of Risk Factors Present
Mortality Rate at 6 Weeks
0
1.5%
1
2.3%
2
7.0%
3
13.0%
>= 4
17.2%
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
