Myocardial salvage in patients with non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction determined by myocardial perfusion imaging

We compared acute and late myocardial perfusion imaging using technetium-99m isotopes in 69 patients who had non–ST-elevation myocardial infarction. Among these patients, we found that the ischemic risk area was often large (19% of the left ventricle), and that 67% had significant myocardial salvage, defined as a >25% decrease in risk area, which was associated with an improved ejection fraction.