[The treatment of recent myocardial infarction by prolonged infusion of trinitrin (author's transl)]

Abstract

Seventy four clinically comparable cases of myocardial infarction, admitted on average at the 10th hour were divided at random in two groups: thirty nine were treated with a prolonged intravenous infusion of trinitrin lasting for 24 hours in 12 cases and during 5 at 7 days in 27 cases: 35 served as controls. The results showed the following: a) the good tolerance of the drug used in this way; b) on the basis of precordial cartography, a reduction of 56.2 +/- 14.5% to 30 +/- 7.3% in the index of secondary extension of necrosis; c) clinical signs of left ventricular failure developed in 60% of the controls as compared with 45.8% of the treated group; d) the prevalence of rhythm disturbances was also lower in those treated; e) overall mortality during the first 4 weeks was 8 amongst the 35 controls and 2 of the treated patients (p less than 0.05).