Thrombolytic Agents in Acute Myocardial Infarction

IN this issue of the Journal, White and his colleagues1 report on a clinical trial in which 270 patients presenting with a first myocardial infarction were randomly assigned to receive intravenously either 1.5 million units of streptokinase or 100 mg of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Left ventricular function was evaluated by contrast ventriculography and revealed no difference in the global ejection fraction three weeks after the infarction. The patency rate of the infarct-related artery was 76 percent in the group receiving streptokinase and 75 percent in the group receiving rt-PA. No significant difference in mortality was observed.It . . .