Ambulatory monitoring in the late post myocardial infarction period

An intensive programme of ambulatory monitoring of post infarction men has clearly demonstrated the increased frequency of ventricular ectopic beats and their relationship to the incidence of sudden death. Parasystolic mechanisms appear to be less malignant than re entrant mechanisms. The presence of damaged myocardium is more closely related to mortality in this group than ventricular ectopy, but there is still an independent relationship between sudden death and ventricular ectopic beats.