Highlights the potential benefits of integrating pharmacological and catheter-based reperfusion strategies into a unified pharmacoinvasive approach for STEMI patients.
P rompt reperfusion of ischemic myocardium is the major focus of acute treatment of patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Two reperfusion strategies have been developed: pharmacological and catheter based. Although these two strategies have traditionally been considered distinct and at times competing options, it is likely that care of patients with STEMI will be improved in the future if they are viewed as a single integrated effort at reperfusion.
Antman et al. (Tue,) studied this question.