Title: Clinical Significance of bundle Branch Block Complicating Acute Myocardial infarction at Hospital admission

Authors: Dr Hanan K. Altalhi, Dr Ali Areef Fadhlullah, Dr Asgad A. Abdalgbar

 DOI:  https://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v5i3.207

Abstract

Background /Aim: Studies of patients with myocardial infarction and Bundle branch block have reported high mortality rate and poor prognosis. To  document  the  frequency  of  Bundle  branch  block  and  their  influence  on prognosis  in  patients  with  acute  myocardial  infarction.

Patients & Methods:  This is case –control study of 42 patients with acute myocardial infarction and bundle branch block (case subject) and 42 patients with acute myocardial infarction and with out block (control  subject) .Patients admitted to the coronary care unit were searched to identify those with documented acute myocardial infarction complicated by the presence of bundle branch block. Conduction defects were classified as follow: complete left bundle branch block (LBBB); right bundle branch block (RBBB); right bundle and left anterior fascicular block (RBBB+LAFB); right bundle and left posterior fascicular block(RBBB+LPFB). And all patients treated with Thrombolytic therapy (Streptokinase or t-PA tissue –type plasminogen).

Results: In  42  patients  with  acute  myocardial  infarction  complicated  by  bundle branch  block,  most  common  types  of  block  were  LBBB  (38%) and RBBB+LAFB  (33.4%).

Patients  with RBBB + LPFB  had  a higher  mortality  than  patients with  other  intra ventricular  conduction  defect (42%  VS  26%,p<0.025). Hospital  mortality  was  directly  related to  the  degree  of  heart failure  only ,(8%) of  patients with  class  I-II  heart  failure  died, compared to (47%) of Patients with  class  III-IV  heart failure  (p < 0.001). The  hospital  mortality  were  higher  in  patients  with  bundle  branch  block  than  in  those  without  block .  (26 % VS.  12%  p>0.001).

Conclusion: The occurrence of  Bundle branch block in acute myocardial infarction indicate  that  infarction  may  be  extensive  and  may result  in  cardiac  failure  or  death.

Keyword: Electrocardiography (ECG), Myocardial infarction (MI), Left bundle branch block (LBBB), Right bundle branch block (RBBB).

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Corresponding Author

Dr Ali Areef

Dept of Internal Medicine

Faculty of Medicine University of Omar El Mukhtar, Albayda –Libya

Telephone: 00201090064146