BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that patients with acute Myocardial Infarction (AMI) and Bundle Branch Block (BBB) may have a worse prognosis than patients with only acute myocardial infarction. Current guidelines recommend reperfusion therapy in patients with ST-segment elevation AMI or left bundle branch block AMI. Curiously, the right bundle-branch block (RBBB) is not listed as an indication for reperfusion therapy. However, some studies did not find a significant prognostic value of RBBB in acute myocardial infarction. Furthermore, distinction between old and new bundle-branch block is seldom made in previously studies. Our study is to investigate the incidence, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and prognostic significance of new-onset RBBB in acute myocardial infarction.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic review of studies evaluating the prognosis of right and left bundle-branch block in acute myocardial infarction will be undertaken. PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid, Cochrane Library and Web of Science will be searched electronically. Reference lists of related reviews, included studies and key journals will be manual-searched to identify further studies for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently complete publication type. Title, abstract and full-text will be screened to determine study eligibility according to the Patient-Intervention-Control-Outcomes (PICO) criteria. Data in the final included studies will be extracted. Quality assessment of included studies will be evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. Stata 22.0 will process the data.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: As data in this systematic review and meta-analysis is based on published articles, ethics approval is not required. Dissemination will be undertaken through publication in peer-reviewed journals, and the lead author’s master dissertation.
CONCLUSION: Findings may provide with valid and precise risk estimates of new-onset RBBB in AMI for clinicians and other decision-makers.
