A new study reports that the use of primary coronary angioplasty in the average community hospital does not reduce deaths more than thrombolytic therapy, and furthermore, it produces significantly higher costs over time.
Heart attack is the leading killer of American men and women.
Many heart attack victims are treated with either primary coronary angioplasty an invasive procedure to open occluded coronary arteries or thrombolysis rapid application of clot-busting drugs. Although a few small-scale clinical trials suggest that angioplasty is more beneficial, their findings have never been replicated in the average community hospital, which is where most Americans are taken when they have a heart attack. According to the researchers, nationwide cost savings could be very significant, if applied to the nearly 200,000 patients eligible for thrombolysis each year.