Electrocardiographic diagnosis of reperfusion during thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction.

Continuous 12-lead electrocardiographic monitoring was performed in 61 patients receiving thrombolytic therapy for an acute myocardial infarction. Coronary angiography within 90 minutes revealed a patent vessel (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction [TIMI] trial 2 or 3) in 44 patients. Early signs of reperfusion were ST-segment normalization (likelihood ratio 16.0), development of terminal T-wave inversion (likelihood ratio 10.6), accelerated idioventricular rhythm (likelihood ratio 6.0), and a twofold increase in ventricular premature complexes (likelihood ratio 2.5). Relief of chest pain after 60 minutes was reported by 96%. During reperfusion of the infarct-related vessel, an increase in ST-segment deviation was recorded in 61% of the patients, whereas 69% had an increase in chest pain preceding the eventual decline.