Variable ECG signs of ischemia during controlled occlusion of the left and right coronary artery in humans

Infarct size (IS) increases with vascular occlusion time, area at risk for infarction, lack of collateral supply, absence of preconditioning, and myocardial demand for O-2 supply. ECG S-T segment elevation is used as a measure of severity of ischemia and a surrogate for IS. This study in 50 patients with coronary artery disease undergoing a first 120-s balloon occlusion of a stenosis sought to determine whether S-T segment elevation, corrected for the above-mentioned variables, in the left coronary artery (LCA group, n = 36) is different from that in the right coronary artery (RCA group, n = 14) territory. After consideration of all known determinants of IS, particularly mass at risk and collateral supply, the LCA territory is more sensitive than the RCA region to a 2-min period of myocardial ischemia.