Adenosine myocardial perfusion single photon emission computed tomographic stress testing 24-72 h after uncomplicated myocardial infarction

Safety of performing adenosine myocardial perfusion stress testing as early as 24 h after acute uncomplicated myocardial infarction is not known. We evaluated 31 (14 females and 17 males, average age 72, range 46–89 years) consecutive patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction, who underwent adenosine myocardial perfusion stress imaging, 24–72 h after infarction for risk stratification. Adenosine was infused at a rate of 140 g/kg/min for 6 min. Twenty patients were presented with non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Eleven patients were admitted with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Patients were monitored for signs of complication during and immediately after the stress test. The average time from admission to performance of stress tests was 51 ± 19 h, ranging from the minimum of 24 h to maximum 72 h. No complications related to adenosine infusion were detected. In conclusion, our data suggest that a further large study of early adenosine myocardial perfusion SPECT imaging may be safe in a carefully selected group of patients after uncomplicated myocardial infarction.