Others may also have either pain in the neck, left arm or jaw. Women may also have back pain. Doctors also will assess the blood pressure, heart rhythm, the person's color, and sweating. The two major types of heart attacks are called transmural, affecting the entire thickness of the heart walls, or subendocardial, which only affects the inner third part of the muscle. People with subendocardial attacks are not candidates for clot-busting drugs, Emerman says.
Transmural victims can benefit from both therapies.
Clot-busting agents, such as tissue plasminogen activator and streptokinase, are most effective when given intravenously within the first six hours to eight hours after the heart attack. It takes about 45 minutes to 90 minutes to work. A modified version of TPA, called tenecteplase, works as a single shot in less time. Both have bleeding as a potential side effect and should not be used in patients at risk for stroke. With a Balloon Catheterization involves visualizing the location of the obstruction and fixing it, if possible.