OBJECTIVES: This study sought to assess the long-term clinical consequences of reocclusion after coronary thrombolysis. BACKGROUND: After acute myocardial infarction successfully treated with thrombolysis, reocclusion occurs in approximately 30% of patients and leads to poorer in-hospital outcome. However, the long-term effects of reocclusion are unknown. METHODS: Three hundred patients with ...

BACKGROUND: Recombinant staphylokinase (STAR) was shown recently to offer promise for coronary arterial thrombolysis in patients with evolving myocardial infarction. The present multicenter randomized open trial was designed to assess the thrombolytic efficacy, safety, and fibrin specificity of STAR relative to accelerated alteplase (recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator [RTPA]). METHODS AND ...

The outcome of patients with Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) trial grade 2 flow is worse than that of patients with TIMI grade 3 flow after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction. It is unclear whether TIMI grade 2 flow represents incomplete recanalization of the culprit lesion or poor distal ...

BACKGROUND: Impaired tissue reperfusion after successful recanalization of an epicardial coronary artery has been documented both in animals and in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Whether this phenomenon can be demonstrated with positron emission tomography (PET) and whether it has an effect on late recovery of flow, metabolism, and function ...

The role of coronary angioplasty as a means of reperfusion therapy in the patient who suffered an acute myocardial infarction has continued to evolve. Adjunctive angioplasty immediately after thrombolytic therapy has been discarded as a routine therapeutic approach. Rescue angioplasty after failed thrombolysis has limited applicability due to the inability ...

PURPOSE: To evaluate thrombolysis as primary therapy for lower extremity embolic occlusions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five of 306 consecutive cases of lower extremity arterial occlusions treated with urokinase and registered in the Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology Transluminal Angioplasty and Revascularization Registry were believed on the basis of clinical ...

Greater understanding of the underlying pathophysiology of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has led to more aggressive management and lower mortality, both in-hospital and long term. AMI results mainly from thrombotic occlusion of the infarct-related coronary artery. The ensuing necrosis evolves over a 6-12 h period providing a time window for ...

This report discusses a new indication for the use of holmium:YAG laser. It includes facilitation of thrombolysis and plaque ablation in acute myocardial infarction after failure of thrombolytic agents. Further study is required to define optimal utilization and integration of this novel device for patients who fail to respond to ...

In order to clarify the relationship between the patency of the infarcted arteries and subsequent long-term prognosis after thrombolytic therapy, we evaluated 116 patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with intracoronary (112 patients) or intravenous (four patients) urokinase. Patients treated with angioplasty after thrombolysis were excluded. The infarcted vessel was ...

The risk of administering thrombolysis to patients with suspected myocardial infarction who subsequently do not sustain an infarct, but develop complications associated with thrombolysis is of concern to all physicians. The objective of this study was to ascertain the effect of altering the criteria for the administration of thrombolysis on ...

The authors carried out a study on the behavior of some thrombotic molecular "markers" in a group of patients suffering from myocardial infarction, just after the first symptoms and after two weeks from the event. The series consists of 12 subjects (6 males, 6 females, mean age 52 +/- 7), ...

OBJECTIVES: The Liquemin in Myocardial Infarction During Thrombolysis With Saruplase (LIMITS) study was instituted to evaluate and characterize the effect of a prethrombolytic heparin bolus (5,000 IU) on the efficacy and safety of saruplase in patients with acute myocardial infarction. BACKGROUND: Heparin has been used after thrombolytic therapy for acute ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the feasibility, safety and efficacy of thrombolysis in the Emergency Room of a Rural Hospital with no Coronary Care Unit, and subsequent transfer to the Coronary Care Unit of a City Hospital. DESIGN: Prospective study, controlled with two parallel groups of consecutive patients (Group 1: Rural Hospital, ...

Early administration of thrombolytic agents in acute myocardial infarction lowers mortality and preserves left ventricular function. Currently, only one third of infarct patients receive this treatment, the vast majority being excluded because of restrictive criteria and delayed hospital admission. When correctly administered, thrombolytic therapy achieves reperfusion in 50-85% of occluded ...

The importance of achieving rapid patency of the infarct-related artery during acute myocardial infarction has become well recognized. Early, sustained patency of the infarct-related vessel correlates with improved left ventricular function, better in-hospital outcomes, and lower mortality. Various strategies designed to improve early patency, including "prehospital" thrombolysis, use of an ...

Intravenous thrombolysis has become a primary mode of reperfusion therapy for selected patients with acute myocardial infarction. The timing and potential benefits of cardiac angiography and coronary revascularization after thrombolysis in patients experiencing an uncomplicated myocardial infarction have been extensively studied, but remain clinically controversial. This review discusses the potential ...

OBJECTIVES: To examine the incidence of left ventricular thrombus in patients with anterior myocardial infarction, with and without streptokinase treatment. To identify predictors of thrombus development. DESIGN: Consecutive patients prospectively studied during the hospitalized period. Echocardiography was performed within 3 days of admission and before discharge. SETTING: Ume? University Hospital, ...

OBJECTIVES: This study sought to determine whether patients who are homozygous for the deletion (D)-type allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene display augmented ventricular dilation after myocardial infarction. BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggests that the deletion-type allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene (DD genotype) is associated with an increased prevalence of ...

OBJECTIVE: To assess the use of acute coronary care facilities in the Republic of Ireland with regard to case mix, patient characteristics, mortality and factors associated with mortality, time intervals to admission, utilisation of thrombolysis, and risk factor profiles. DESIGN: A 1 week prospective census of all hospitals admitting acute ...

To determine whether pharmacologic reperfusion to Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) grade 2 flow during acute myocardial infarction confers the same clinical benefit as restoration of TIMI 3 flow, in-hospital clinical and angiographic outcomes in 1,229 patients prospectively enrolled in the Thrombolysis and Angioplasty in Myocardial Infarction trials were analyzed. ...

BACKGROUND: Recent guidelines recommend that patients with obvious acute myocardial infarction receive thrombolysis, unless contraindicated, within 60-90 minutes of summoning assistance. If this target is to be achieved, an increasing number of general practitioners are likely to be involved in the administration of thrombolytic agents. AIM: This study aimed to ...

Using the centerline method in a canine model, we compared left ventricular function after coronary thrombolysis induced by a novel modified recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (E6010: 84Cys-->84Ser) to that induced by rt-PA or urokinase. Thirty minutes after occlusion, a bolus injection of E6010 (0.2 mg/kg) or a continuous infusion ...

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate an increase in plasma concentration of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances as a non-invasive biochemical test of reperfusion after thrombolysis and to investigate the relation between the inflammatory response after acute myocardial infarction and the production of the substances. METHODS: Venous samples were taken from 19 patients receiving ...

BACKGROUND: The frequency of onset of acute myocardial infarction follows a circadian pattern, with a peak incidence between 6:00 AM and noon. Circadian variations have been defined for platelet aggregation, plasminogen-activator inhibitor, and a number of hemostatic and physiological factors, all of which might predispose toward clotting in the late ...

Primary angioplasty offers several advantages to thrombolysis for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. First, most patients are candidates for primary angioplasty. In contrast, only 20--30% meet eligibility criteria for thrombolysis. Second, angioplasty is superior to thrombolysis in achieving infarct artery patency, restoring normal coronary blood flow, and preventing temporary ...

Randomized trials have demonstrated the overall benefits and risks of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction, and have evaluated adjunctive drug therapies, adjunctive and primary angioplasty, various approaches to the timing of thrombolysis, and post-thrombolysis management. Three questions, which remain unanswered, are addressed in this Point-Counterpoint Series. The GUSTO trial ...

Smokers with acute myocardial infarction appear to have a better outcome after thrombolysis than do nonsmokers. To identify factors that could contribute to this curious finding, we analyzed data from the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI-4) trial, in which 382 patients with acute myocardial infarction were randomized to tissue plasminogen ...

Substantial investments are now being made in quality assurance programmes throughout the developed world. Proposes that economic evaluation is one approach to justifying these in terms of value for money. Three key elements are: comparison with some alternative course of action; measurement of costs; and measurement of consequences. Illustrates the ...

Despite these negative results, the theoretical benefit of lysing clot in acute coronary syndromes remains appealing. Whether the use of more potent antiplatelet agents or antithrombin agents might improve the results of thrombolytics in unstable angina and acute myocardial infarction without an unacceptable bleeding risk remains speculative. Site-specific lysis with ...

This study reports on 261 consecutive patients admitted to the Wuppertal Heart Center with acute myocardial infarction (186 men, 75 women; average age: 58.2 +/- 11.6 years) and then treated by primary coronary artery angioplasty. Sixteen patients with cardiogenic shock were included, as well as 42 patients aged > or ...

The benefit of thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction has been conclusively established by many trials. Direct angioplasty (without thrombolytic therapy) is often utilized urgently for patients with acute infarction based on observational studies. Recently, three randomized trials compared outcomes of patients undergoing thrombolysis versus direct angioplasty. The results of ...

Coronary heart disease is still rare representing only 6% of all cardiovascular diseases in black Africans despite its increased incidence in recent years. Myocardial infarction in black Africans shows similar characteristics as those seen in patients aged under 40 years in the west, particularly regarding the frequency of infarction as ...

A major assumption in the treatment of patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) implies that the speed of coronary arterial reperfusion correlates directly with the overall extent of myocardial salvage, and that the extent of mycardial salvage, in turn, determines the absolute reduction in patient mortality. While a growing experience ...

The extent and severity of residual myocardial ischaemia are well-known as major determinants of mortality after myocardial infarction, and non-invasive assessment of these parameters still plays a critical role in the management of patients. Most of the published data on this topic derive from observations collected before the widespread use ...

Early reopening of the infarct-related artery salvages myocardium and, consequently, preserves left ventricular function, which results in an improved survival rate (the early open infarct-related artery theory). Nevertheless, late patency of the infarct-related artery is also important, because it prevents ventricular remodeling (the late-open infarct-related theory). A comprehensive view of ...

The role of the angioplasty following thrombolysis in acute myocardial infarction has been discussed in several studies, however the effect of successful angioplasty on infarct size and left ventricular function has not been properly evaluated. Successful reperfusion was achieved in 79 out of 104 patients with primary anterior acute myocardial ...

Prognostic data obtained from studies carried out since the advent of thrombolysis confirm the notion that short-term survival after acute myocardial infarction is primarily influenced by age and clinical indicators of infarct size or global left ventricular dysfunction. In survivors of the in-hospital phase of infarction, markers of left ventricular ...

Acute myocardial infarction is the result of an acute interruption of myocardial blood flow resulting in ischemic myocardial necrosis. The pathogenesis of this phenomenon nearly always involves acute thrombosis superimposed on a disrupted atherosclerotic plaque. Thrombolytic agents have been conclusively shown to reduce mortality in many patient subgroups with myocardial ...

Laser thrombolysis is a new, experimental, catheter based intervention aimed at selectively removing intracoronary thrombus. This first clinical study was performed to assess the feasibility and safety of laser thrombolysis, as well as its potential therapeutic place in acute myocardial infarction. Eighteen patients with acute myocardial infarction, who were either ...

Thrombolytic therapy has been proven to be highly effective and safe in patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction. Its use may reduce mortality rates by as much as 50%. Accelerated administration of tissue plasminogen activator (Activase) combined with intravenous heparin shows particular success in reducing mortality rates, especially in patients ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to determine whether early qualitative or quantitative angiographic features can predict reocclusion after initially successful coronary thrombolysis. BACKGROUND: Although both the benefits of early reperfusion and the consequences of subsequent reocclusion after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction have been well described, efforts to ...

Acute lower limb ischemia secondary to Buerger's disease in a young patient responded to thrombolysis and subsequent popliteal and anterior artery angioplasty. The value of angioplasty in non-limb-threatening ischemia in Buerger's disease has not been established but this case illustrates a role for thrombolysis and angioplasty in acute ischemia.

Adjunctive thrombolysis has not been shown to improve angioplasty success or complication rates in elective angioplasty or myocardial infarction and may be detrimental in unstable angina. Thrombolysis of chronically occluded vessels achieves recanalization at a rate comparable to conventional angioplasty and is associated with a high rate of complications and ...

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that liposomal prostaglandin E1 (TLC C-53) would result in more rapid thrombolysis, less reocclusion and smaller infarct size when administered with heparin and streptokinase in a canine thrombolysis model. BACKGROUND: In experimental animals, prostaglandin E1 has been shown to ...

Two brothers with acute myocardial infarction are presented. Subsequent to a standard thrombolysis treatment with streptokinase and heparin, both developed abnormal liver tests, with elevated transaminases only. This liver dysfunction resolved promptly. The occurrence of such side-effects in two siblings raises the question of genetic predisposition to the otherwise uncommon ...

BACKGROUND: After successful thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction, reocclusion is observed in about 30% of patients after 3 months and usually occurs without reinfarction. We studied the impact of reocclusion without reinfarction on global and regional left ventricular function and on remodeling during that period. METHODS AND RESULTS: The patients ...

BACKGROUND: It has been shown that successful reperfusion of the infarct-related artery by thrombolysis can prevent left ventricular dilation after acute myocardial infarction; these beneficial effects were detected from several days to several months after infarction. To date, however, no study has shown that these effects can be demonstrated within ...

We assessed whether audit might reduce the time taken to give thrombolysis and aspirin in patients with acute myocardial infarction (N = 116). A retrospective analysis was performed of the sources of delay in giving the drugs (N-60) and the data were presented to clinical staff accompanied by guidelines aimed ...

The authors employed a canine model of coronary thrombosis, induced by injection of radioactive blood clot, via a catheter placed in the left anterior descending (LAD) coronary artery, to compare effects of different rates of administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rtPA) on efficacy of coronary thrombolysis. In one group ...

The purpose of this study was to analyze angiographic findings, clinical course, and follow-up data on 1,752 patients who underwent protocol cardiac catheterization 18 to 48 hours after enrollment in the Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction (TIMI) II pilot and randomized trial: 244 patients (14.0%) had < 60% diameter stenosis in ...