TIMI risk score for acute myocardial infarction according to prognostic stratification.

BACKGROUND The TIMI (Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction) risk score is derived from clinical trial involving patients who are eligible for fibrinolysis. As the risk profiles of these cases differ from those found in non-selected populations, it is important to review the applicability of the score in usual clinical conditions. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the management and clinical evolution of hospital inpatients with acute myocardial infarction, according to risk stratification by the TIMI score. METHODS We evaluated, retrospectively, 103 cases of acute myocardial infarction with ST-segment elevation admitted to the Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição - Tubarão, in 2004 and 2005. The cases were analyzed in three risk groups according to the TIMI score. RESULTS The hospital mortality after infarction was 17.5%. In the low-risk group there was no death. The mortality was 8.1% in the medium risk group and 55.6% in the high-risk group. The risk of death in cases of high risk was 14.1 times higher than in the cases of medium and low risk (95% CI = 4.4 to 44.1 and p <0.001). The chance of receiving fibrinolytic was 50% lower in the high-risk group in relation to the low risk group (95% CI = 0.27 to 0.85, p = 0.004). CONCLUSION There was a progressive increase in mortality and incidence of in-hospital complications according to the stratification by the TIMI score. High risk patients received thrombolytic less frequently than the patients at low risk.