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Thrombolytic drugs for heart attack

Myocardial infarction - thrombolytic; MI - thrombolytic; ST - elevation myocardial infarction; CAD - thrombolytic; Coronary artery disease - thrombolytic; STEMI - thrombolytic

Information

Small blood vessels called coronary arteries supply oxygen carrying blood to the heart muscle.

Some people may be given drugs to break up the clot if the artery is completely blocked.

The main risk when receiving clot-busting drugs is bleeding, with the most serious being bleeding in the brain.

Thrombolytic therapy is not safe for people who have:

Other treatments to open blocked or narrowed vessels that may be done in place of or after treatment with thrombolytic therapy include:

References

Bohula EA, Morrow DA. ST-elevation myocardial infarction: management. In: Libby P, Bonow RO, Mann DL, Tomaselli GF, Bhatt DL, Solomon SD, eds. Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. 12th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 38.

Ibanez B, James S, Agewall S, et al. 2017 ESC guidelines for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation: The Task Force for the management of acute myocardial infarction in patients presenting with ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC). Eur Heart J. 2018;39(2):119-177. PMID: 28886621 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28886621/.

Lawton JS, Tamis-Holland JE, Bangalore S, et al. 2021 ACC/AHA/SCAI guideline for coronary artery revascularization: executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on clinical practice guidelines. Circulation. 2022;145(11):e771. PMID: 34882436 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34882436/.

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Review Date: 4/10/2023  

Reviewed By: Michael A. Chen, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington Medical School, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

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