Thrombolytic therapy is a method of dissolving such blood clots and restoring blood flow to the heart. Rationale Several of the earlier large clinical trials have found no significant difference between tPA and SK in terms of clinical effectiveness. Smaller trials suggested that the method of administering tPA in those trials was not the most effective. Conclusions Thrombolytic therapy saves lives.
Thrombolytics are under-utilized.
In Minnesota we estimate that there are approximately 12,000 hospital admissions for acute myocardial infarction annually. The benefit of thrombolytic therapy diminishes with time after symptom onset. Providers of health care should make every effort to administer thrombolytic therapy to appropriate patients without delay. Both streptokinase and tissue plasminogen activator are safe and effective thrombolytic agents. Available data appears to indicate that accelerated tissue plasminogen activator confers an additional survival benefit compared to streptokinase, especially for anterior infarct, or when thrombolytic therapy is initiated within four hours after symptom onset.