Resumption of work after acute myocardial infarction.

A total of 644 patients, admitted to the Coronary Care Unit of a district hospital on account of acute myocardial infarction, have been discharged during a 3-year period. Of these patients, 71% had been employed at the time of the infarction and more than 80% of this group returned to work. Among the long-term survivors (LTS) aged less than 65 years who had been employed at the time of infarction, 87% of the male and 74% of the female patients had resumed work some time afterwards. Among 347 LTS age was found to be the main factor to determine whether or not patients would be able to resume work, whereas the number of experienced infarctions as well as signs and/or symptoms of heart failure during the acute phase were of no consequence. The occurrence of additional symptoms of ischaemic heart diseases (recurrences of infarction, presence of angina pectoris, demand for drugs) was of prognostic importance for whether or not patients would have to abandon work. The ability of patients to resume their previous work. The ability of patients to resume their previous work depended on the character of the latter, i.e. its type and the physical strain involved. About 80% of the LTS resumed work within three months. Patients in whom heart failure had occurred during the acute phase tended to return to work later than those without this complication. No more than half of the LTS who had abandoned work declared that cardiac symptoms had been the reason.