Increased Urinary Urobilinogen Following Acute Myocardial Infarction

Abstract

A study was conducted of the serial urinary urobilinogen excretion in patients with acute myocardial infarction, using Watson's semiquantitative method. Increased excretion was observed in some 90 per cent of the subjects with infarcts confirmed by the electrocardiogram and in more than half of the subjects where the electrocardiogram was not conclusive. The degree and duration of increased urinary urobilinogen had no apparent bearing upon prognosis. It is postulated that the altered urobilinogen excretion is induced by hepatic effects of the stress reaction incident to acute myocardial infarction.