High dose intravenous streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction.

Early recanalization of infarct-related coronary arteries has been attempted in 40 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and angiographically proven total occlusion by brief high dose intravenous streptokinase infusion (IVSK). In 24 patients (60%) recanalization was achieved after 48 +/- 14 min of IVSK at an infusion rate of 30,000 to 40,000 IU/min (group A), in 16 patients there was a late (greater than 2 h) or no recanalization (group B). The total dose of SK was 1.7 +/- 0.48 Mio IU in group A and 1.74 +/- 0.41 Mio IU in group B, the time from the onset of symptoms to peak myocardial enzyme of creatine phosphokinase (CKMB) 11 +/- 3 h in group A and 22 +/- 6 h in group B (p less than 0.001). Biplane left ventricular ejection fraction increased from 55 +/- 9% at the time of acute angiography to 58 +/- 10% after 14 to 24 days in group A (p less than 0.1) and decreased from 49 +/- 11 to 41 +/- 11% in group B (p less than 0.005). There were four reocclusions in group A, two could be reopened by i.v. urokinase (1 Mio IU over 30 min). During a follow-up period of 18 +/- 8 months one patient in group A died from an early ventricular rupture 2 hours after recanalization, and one patient in group B from heart failure 7 months after IVSK. There was no serious bleeding or other complication related to IVSK. We conclude that IVSK is an effective and safe means of early recanalization of coronary thrombosis in AMI, and feasible in the majority of patients with AMI.