Myocardial infarction: ventricular septal rupture was rare but mortality was high.

Clinical bottom line (level 2c)

  1. One in fifty patients with myocardial infarction developed ventricular septal rupture.
  2. Over half were dead within 40 days.
Moore et al: Circulation 1986; 74 (1): 45-55
Expires March 2003

The study

Outcome study with objective outcomes, not adjusted for confounding factors, not validated in an independent set of patients.

Setting: university hospital, USA

1264 patients (aged ?, ?% male) with a myocardial infarction (confirmed by cardiac enzyme rise)



Outcomes studied:
  • ventricular septal rupture confirmed on echocardiography in 23 patients
  • death with ventricular septal rupture

    • The evidence

    outcome time to outcome number of patients/total number %
    (95% CI)    		 NNF
    (95% CI)
    ventricular septal rupture ? 25/1264 2.0%
    (1.2% to 2.8%)    		 51
    (36 to 83)
    death with ventricular septal rupture 41 days 14/25 56%
    (37% to 75%)    		 2
    (1 to 3)

    Citation

    1. Moore CA, Nygaard TW, Kaiser DL, et al: Postinfarction ventricular septal rupture: the importance of location of infarction and right ventricular function in determining survival. Circulation 1986; 74 (1): 45-55
    Search Terms:
    Contributor: Chris Ball and Clare Wotton, February 2000
    Reviewer:

    Clinical Question.
    Patient MI
    Intervention or Exposure prevalence
    Outcome ventricular septal rupture