The Changes in The Right Ventricular Function After Elective Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Patients With Right Coronary Artery Occlusion

Myocardial infarction is a common presentation of coronary artery disease. The World Health Organization estimated in 2004, that 12.2% of worldwide deaths were from ischemic heart disease; with it being the leading cause of death in high- or middle-income countries and second only to lower respiratory infections in lower-income countries. Worldwide, more than 3 million people have STEMIs and 4 million have NSTEMIs a year . STEMIs occur about twice as often in men as women .

Myocardial infarction means that the tissue ischemia caused tissue death, as a result of diminished blood supply to a part of the heart muscles. The blood supply of the heart is coronary arteries (right and left). Proximal RCA occlusions were very often found among men with fatal pre-hospital MI; whereas left-sided coronary occlusions were significantly more frequent in hospital-admitted survivors of MI. Left-sided coronary occlusions may be associated with a more favorable pre-hospital phase of acute MI compared to proximal RCA occlusions .

The right coronary artery (RCA) supplies the right ventricle, 25% to 35% of the left ventricle and SA node in 60% of people. Proximal RCA occlusion increases the risk of arrhythmia and shock leading to increase the mortality. Sinus bradycardia and cardiogenic shock accounts for the majorities of the mortalities of RCA occlusion.

Sinus bradycardia is more frequent when the infarct-related artery is the RCA than other arteries involvement. Proximal occlusions of the RCA presented sinus bradycardia more than medial and distal occlusions.

Mortality of cardiogenic shock due to right ventricular infarction (55%) was comparable to that due to left ventricular infarction (59%) in spite of patients being younger and a greater incidence of single vessel disease. The worse prognosis in patients with RV myocardial involvement may be related to the increased risk of life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias in these patients.