[In-hospital survival predictors in infarction patients undergoing fibrinolytic therapy]

To analyze the in-hospital predictors of survival in a population of infarcted patients submitted to the same therapeutic protocol that included IV streptokinase (SK) in the dose of 750,000 units.

Three hundred and thirty two patients (mean age 55.6 +/- 10 years, 82.3% men) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) were studied within six hours of onset of symptoms in a prospective and consecutive protocol. Using simple and multiple regression analysis, the following variables were selected for correlation with survival: LV ejection fraction by contrast ventriculography > 50%; CK-MB peak < or = 100 UI/1; male sex; invasive treatment (surgery or angioplasty); patent "culprit" coronary on cineangiography; age < or = 65 years; time interval between the onset of pain and the beginning of SK infusion < 3 hours; residual obstruction < 70% at the "culprit" coronary; inferior AMI location on ECG; absence of hypotension per-peri SK infusion, previous AMI, multivessel coronary artery disease and reinfarction.

By simple regression analysis, ejection fraction > 50% (p < 0.001), CK-MB peak < or = 100 UI/1 (p = 0.003), and the absence of hypotension (p < 0.001), previous AMI (p = 0.009), multivessel coronary artery disease (p = 0.02) and reinfarction (p = 0.049), correlated significantly with survival. By multiple regression analysis ejection fraction > 50% (p = 0.017) and the absence of hypotension (p < 0.01), multivessel coronary artery disease (p = 0.032) and reinfarction (p = 0.037) correlated independently with survival.

The data presented strongly support the concept of preventing atherosclerosis and maintaining myocardial viability using either direct measures such as recanalization, or indirect measures such prevention of hypotension and reinfarction.