Clinical characteristics of patients with acute myocardial infarction treated with thrombolysis

In patients with ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) thrombolytic therapy is the optimal reperfusion strategy when primary percutaneous intervention is not available.

To determine the clinical characteristics and hospital evolution of patients with STEMI who were treated with thrombolytic therapy in the Emergency department.

Retrospective and transversal study; we included all patients who were diagnosed with STEMI in the Emergency department of the Hospital General Regional No. 46 and received thrombolytic therapy, within a 12 month period.

We analyzed 59 cases, with a mean age of 62.2 years old, 70% were male sex; the average age for men was 60 years (range 38-84) and for women was 71 years (range 43-87); according to the initial electrocardiogram the most common myocardial affected regions were inferior (43.8%) and extense anterior (43.8%); tenecteplase was the most used thrombolytic therapy (93%), with an average door in-needle time of 82 minutes (range 10-360 min), 52.6% met clinical criteria for reperfusion; in 49 cases a cardiac catheterism was performed in subsequent days, 49% of them was for rescue percutaneous coronary intervention; in-hospital mortality was 28%.

Thrombolytic therapy in STEMI is effective and increases the opportunity for preserving myocardial tissue; in our institute, its mandatory that such therapy is easily available and used, taking into account the patient referral times to a hospital with catheterism laboratory.