Background: 

Complete bed rest has been a component of the management of acute myocardial infarction, which was first diagnosed in the United States in 1912. The prescribed duration of bed rest has been progressively shortened in the past century.

Study Question: 

What are the milestones of the changes in the expert approach to the duration of bed rest for patients with acute myocardial infarction?

Study Design: 

To determine the changes in the experts' approach to the duration of bed rest after a diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction, as presented in a widely used textbook in the United States.

Data Sources: 

The chapters presenting the management of myocardial infarction in the 26 editions of Cecil Textbook of Medicine published from 1927 through 2020.

Results: 

Complete rest for 2–6 weeks was recommended by the Cecil's experts from 1927 through 1967. The practice was questioned since the early 1950s, but the recommended duration of bed rest was decreased to 3–4 days only in 1971, after most US hospitals opened coronary care units. The required time in bed was further decreased to 1 day in 1992 and to 12 hours in 2004. By 2007, the literature contained data from 15 trials with a total of 1471 patients kept in bed “longer” and 1487 patients who had been prescribed bed rest for “shorter” periods after an acute uncomplicate myocardial infarction and there was no difference between the groups regarding reinfarction, cardiac mortality, or all-cause mortality.

Conclusions: 

The duration of bed rest after acute myocardial infarction recommended by experts in the United States has had a downward trend with an inflection point in the early 1970s. The change reflected experts' opinion, rather than evidence produced by randomized controlled trials.