The objective of the submitted trial was to use combined examination of ECG at rest and after exercise to detect a viable heart muscle in patients with a postinfarction Q wave and ST elevations. The authors found that according to the character of changes of the ST elevation in ECG after exercise it is not possible to detect patients with a viable myocardium. During the combined procedure using analysis of the kinetic disorder at rest and increase of the ST segment in ECG after exercise it is possible in patients with hypokinesia or akinesia at the site of the Q wave to differentiate successfully 66% patients with a viable heart muscle. This combined procedure can serve as a selective test for implementation of further more accurate diagnostic tests for the detection of a viable heart muscle because in common clinical practice the above data are available in these patients before indication of more complicated examinations.

Keywords: Coronary Artery Bypass; Echocardiography; Electrocardiography; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Contraction; Myocardial Infarction /diagnosis/; Retrospective Studies; Ventricular Function, Left