Quantitative Analysis of Left Ventricular Function by Two-Dimensional Echocardiography

textabstractWith the introduction of thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction in the early eighties, both the outcome and prognosis of acute myocardial infarction improved considerably.I.II At the same time, the need for an accurate and noninvasive method to assess left ventricular function was increasing. In that period, technological and computer developments resulted in improved two-dimensional echocardiographic image quality and analytic methods. However, two-dimensional echocardiography was not available in most coronary care units and the use of Doppler echocardiography was just emerging. The first color Doppler flow imaging systems, which allow the visualization of the intracardiac blood flow, did not arrive before the mideighties. All of these newer technologies with their improved and additional diagnostic capabilities were a major stimulus to study patients with an acute myocardial infarction in the coronary care unit. To this end we designed a study to investigate the following questions: I. early diagnosis and severity of an acute myocardial infarction 2. early diagnosis of the complications of an acute myocardial infarction 3. prognosis of an acute myocardial infarction and its complications 4. evaluation of therapeutical interventions in patients with an acute myocardial infarction