Title:Thrombolytic Therapy in the Current ERA: Myocardial Infarction and Beyond
Volume: 24
Issue: 4
Author(s): Patrick Proctor, Massoud A. Leesar and Arka Chatterjee*
Affiliation:
- Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL,United States
Keywords:
Thrombolysis, acute myocardial infarction, catheter directed thrombolysis, pulmonary embolism, acute ischemic stroke,
thrombolytic therapy.
Abstract: Thrombolytic therapy kick-started the era of modern cardiology but in the last few decades it has been
largely supplanted by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as the go-to treatment for acute myocardial
infarction. However, these agents remain important for vast populations without access to primary PCI and
acute ischemic stroke. More innovative uses have recently come up for the treatment of a variety of conditions.
This article summarizes the history, evidence base and current use of thrombolytics in cardiovascular disease.
