Objective To investigate the relationship between the level of serum B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) and right ventricular infarction in patient s with acute inferior myocardial infarction (AIMI).

Method The serum BNP level was measured in 213 consecutive patient s with AIMI who were admitted in the coronary care unit (CCU) and in the normal control with 98 cases from October 2006 to May 2009. The patients were divided into five groups in accordance with the coronary angiographic findings and ECG: Acute inferior myocardial infarction group; acute inferior myocardial infarction and right ventricular infarction group; control group; left anterior circumflex (LXC) group; proximal, middle and distal segment of right coronary artery (RCA)group. All patient s were performed directly percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 24 h after the onset of AIMI. The incidence of major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including arrhythmia, heart failure, cardiac shock and mortality, had been observed during hospital, 30 days and 3 months.

Result BNP level in the acute inferior myocardial infarction and right ventricular infarction group was significantly higher than that in acute inferior myocardial infarction group (p<0.101). The level in the proximal2mid segment of RCA group was higher than that in the LXC group (p<0.101). Additionally, logistic regression analysis showed that the level of BNP was an independent predictor of MACE in the 30 days and 3 months in acute inferior myocardial infarction patient s (r=0.701 0, 95 % CI <0.01 to 0.615, p<0.101).

Conclusion We demonstrated the level of BNP in patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction or/and right ventricular infarction, and BNP could be a good predictor for patients with acute inferior myocardial infarction and right ventricular infarction.