After myocardial infarction

Preview

Individualized treatment is seldom more important than in the patient who has survived an acute myocardial infarction. The wide range in mortality statistics for the first 12 months after infarction—from 1% to 50%—points up the variability of the risk in individuals. Thus, the main objective in managing the postinfarction patient is to establish individual risks for future coronary events. The high-risk patient can then be afforded closer follow-up and more aggressive management than the low-risk patient, who has a good prognosis and may not require further study or specific therapy.