European Journal of Echocardiography Advance Access published online on July 16, 2008
European Journal of Echocardiography, doi:10.1093/ejechocard/jen167
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Safety of contrast-enhanced echocardiography within 24 h after acute myocardial infarction
1 Department of Cardiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, PO Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands
2 Department of Cardiology, University Hospital ‘Santa Maria della Misericordia’, Udine, Italy
3 Department of Cardiology, ThoraxCenter Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Received 21 January 2008; accepted after revision 20 April 2008.
* Corresponding author. Tel: +31 715262020; fax: +31 715266809.E-mail address: j.j.bax{at}lumc.nl
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Abstract |
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Aims: Contrast-enhanced echocardiography is widely used to enhance left ventricular (LV) endocardial border delineation in stable patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. In patients with acute myocardial infarction, accurate assessment of LV function and size is important, but data on the safety of contrast-enhanced echocardiography in the early stage of myocardial infarction (within 24 h) are lacking. In the current study, the experience on the safety of contrast-enhanced echocardiography within 24 h of acute myocardial infarction is reported.
Methods and results: A total of 115 consecutive patients (58 ± 11 years; 77% male) admitted to the coronary care unit for ST-elevation acute myocardial infarction underwent clinically indicated contrast-enhanced echocardiography within 24 h of hospital admission to assess LV size and function. Perflutren (Luminity®, Bristol-Myers Squibb Pharma, Bruxelles, Belgium) was used as contrast agent. Safety was determined evaluating vital signs, physical examination, ECG, and adverse events. On contrast-enhanced echocardiography, the mean LV ejection fraction was 44 ± 11%, and 56% of patients had an LV ejection fraction 
45%. Administration of echo contrast did not induce any significant change in vital signs, physical examination, and ECG. Major adverse events were not observed whereas minor events occurred in 4% of patients (hypersensitivity at the injection site in three and transient back pain in two).
Conclusion: These data provide evidence on the safety of contrast-enhanced echocardiography in the first 24 h of myocardial infarction; larger patient cohorts are needed to confirm these findings.
Keywords: Acute myocardial infarction; Contrast echocardiography; Safety
The first two authors contributed equally to this article and are shared first authors.
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