The Fate of Patients Surviving Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

Acute myocardial infarction has become increasingly well recognized clinically since Herrick's ¹ stimulating paper was published in 1912. Although the interval of time since then should have afforded adequate opportunity for study of the final outcome in patients who survive the acute attack of myocardial infarction, and for study of the relationship between clinical observations and observations made at necropsy, there have not been many reports of such studies. It was the purpose of our study to obtain information as to what lies ahead for these patients. We have tried to determine what factors, if any, affected the course of surviving patients after acute myocardial infarction, particularly in regard to length of survival and manner of death. In addition, we have studied features of the pathologic cardiac anatomy and have correlated with them the clinical observations. Methods Cases for study were selected from all necropsies performed at the Mayo Clinic