Thrombolytic therapy in acute myocardial infarction.

Multiple clinical trials have demonstrated that thrombolytic treatment early in the course of acute myocardial infarction significantly reduces mortality. Patients under 75 years of age who have had chest pain for no longer than six hours and who demonstrate ST-segment elevation on electrocardiogram are the best candidates for this therapy. Recent studies suggest that there is little difference in effectiveness among streptokinase, alteplase and anistreplase. However, streptokinase is 10 times less expensive than the other agents and causes fewer intracranial bleeds, the major serious adverse effect of thrombolytic therapy. An advantage of anistreplase is that it can be given in a five-minute bolus injection, compared with a one-hour infusion for streptokinase and a three-hour infusion for alteplase. Thrombolytic therapy is contraindicated in patients with known pregnancy, active internal bleeding, uncontrolled hypertension, aortic dissection, intracranial neoplasm or a history of hemorrhagic stroke. Heparin should be administered with both alteplase and streptokinase. Aspirin, beta blockers, nitrates and lidocaine are useful adjunctive therapies in the setting of an acute myocardial infarction.