Reperfusion assessment using myocardial contrast echocardiography in patients with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction.

In this study, 29 patients underwent myocardial contrast echocardiography after presentation with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction but before coronary angiography using a continuous infusion of microbubbles and real-time imaging with a low mechanical index. Patients with transmural perfusion defects at presentation subsequently had much larger infarctions (as measured by peak creatine phosphokinase-MB fraction) than did those with normal perfusion, indicating that myocardial contrast echocardiography may be a useful means to determine adequacy of reperfusion after thrombolytic therapy and in the selection of patients for adjunctive treatment, such as "rescue angioplasty."