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[i] Mortality is low 1 year after administration of alteplase for acute myocardial infarction

'In this series of patients it seems that the early benefits of thrombolytic therapy are maintained throughout the first year after infarction' , but subsequent revascularisation procedures were performed in a high proportion of these patients.

106 patients received alteplase 20-115mg over 90 min followed by 35-50mg infused over the next 3.5-5 hours (in all but 2 patients) for 107 episodes of acute myocardial infarction in 2 studies. Alteplase was administered ~ 2 hours from the onset of infarction in 45% of episodes.

There were 9 inhospital deaths and another 4 deaths during the follow-up period of 49-70 (mean 53) weeks; all but 1 of these patients had recei ved alteplase. 101 patients underwent coronary angioplasty during the initial hospital stay, angioplasty of the infarct-related vessel was later attempted in 18 patients, it was successful in 12. and coronary artery bypass grafting had been performed in 15 patients at review. The remaining patients had been maintained on anti platelet agents (n = 73), beta blockers (54). calcium antagonists (53) and oral nitrates (43). 22 patients had cardiac admissions predominantly for chest pains after their initial admission. The I-year survival of this group of patients was 87.7%. McNeill AJ. Dickey W. Campbell NPS. Khan MM. Patterson GC, et al. One-year follow-up after recombinant tissue plasminogen activator administered to patients with acute myocardial infarction. European Heart Journal 12: 624-629. May 1991 ""

6 lui 1991 INPHARMA® ISSN 0156-2703/91/0706-0010/0$01.00/0 © Adis International Ltd