Randomized Comparison of Primary Coronary Angioplasty With Thrombolytic Therapy in Low Risk Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction

Objectives. We sought to compare primary coronary angioplasty and thrombolysis as treatment for low risk patients with an acute myocardial infarction.Background. Primary coronary angioplasty is the most effective reperfusion therapy for patients with acute myocardial infarction; however, intravenous thrombolysis is easier to apply, more widely available and possibly more appropriate in low risk patients.Methods. We stratified 240 patients with acute myocardial infarction at admission according to risk. Low risk patients (n = 95) were randomized to primary angioplasty or thrombolytic therapy. The primary end point was death, nonfatal stroke or reinfarction during 6 months of follow-up. Left ventricular ejection fraction and medical charges were secondary end points. High risk patients (n = 145) were treated with primary angioplasty.Results. In low risk patients, the incidence of the primary clinical end point (4% vs. 20%, p < 0.02) was lower in the group with primary coronary angioplasty than in the group with thrombolysis, because of a higher rate of reinfarction in the latter group. Mortality and stroke rates were low in both treatment groups. There were no differences in left ventricular ejection fraction or total medical charges. High risk patients had a 14% incidence rate of the primary clinical end point.Conclusions. Simple clinical data can be used to risk-stratify patients during the initial admission for myocardial infarction. Even in low risk patients, primary coronary angioplasty results in a better clinical outcome at 6 months than does thrombolysis and does not increase total medical charges.(J Am Coll Cardiol 1997;29:908–12)© 1997 by the American College of Cardiology     

Venous thrombolysis: Current perspectives

Opinion statement Venous thromboembolism is a common problem in hospital and community patients and is associated with longer hospital stays, significant morbidity, and mortality. It is the third most common cardiovascular disease after ischemic coronary artery disease and stroke. A quarter of patients with acute myocardial infarction and more than half of patients with acute ischemic stroke may develop venous thromboembolism. The traditional treatment of venous thrombosis has been with anticoagulation, initially with heparin, followed by warfarin long term. The concept of thrombolysis for venous thrombosis is relatively new, but its exact role remains unsettled and largely unexplored. Reports of catheter fragmentation with systemic thrombolysis as well as catheter-directed thrombolysis are promising, and groups of patients who would benefit from thrombolytic therapy as the primary treatment are now being identified.     

机械取栓装置在缺血性卒中患者治疗中的应用

目前,在发病4．5h内进行静脉溶栓仍然是治疗急性缺血性卒中患者的最有效方法。对于不符合静脉溶栓治疗标准、静脉溶栓后症状无明显改善甚至恶化的患者,血管内介入治疗是一种安全的替代治疗方法。经动脉机械取栓装置能实现迅速和完全的血管再通,为急性缺血性卒中患者提供了更多的治疗选择。文章对近年来机械取栓装置相关的技术演变和临床试验进行了综述。     

Reperfusion strategies for acute ischemic stroke

Stroke remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite preventive measures, effective management strategies are needed to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this devastating condition. While the management of hemorrhagic stroke is mostly limited to supportive care, reperfusion strategies in ischemic stroke have been developed and continue to evolve. Conceptually, the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke is similar to that of acute myocardial infarction and the objective of management is similar (ie, to rapidly restore normal flow to reduce permanent damage). It is, therefore, not surprising that the management of acute ischemic stroke includes intravenous (IV) thrombolysis, the only Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved strategy at this point. In addition, there are a myriad of emerging endovascular interventional techniques. We review the current literature and discuss some of the technical aspects of endovascular therapy in the setting of acute ischemic stroke.     

Thrombolytic therapy is indicated for patients over 75 years of age with st-elevation acute myocardial infarction: antagonist viewpoint

From the available data, one cannot conclude whether thrombolytic therapy is beneficial or detrimental in patients older than age 75 years with acute myocardial infarction. Data favor the use of primary percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty rather than thrombolysis in eligible patients older than age 75 years with acute myocardial infarction to reduce mortality, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, and intracranial hemorrhage. High-risk elderly patients with acute myocardial infarction, such as those with a large anterior myocardial infarction complicated by heart failure and hypotension, those with persistent ischemic pain or marked ST-segment changes, those with hemodynamic instability, and those at high risk for stroke or bleeding complications, should, especially, be treated with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.     

Clinical perspectives and therapeutics of thrombolysis

Reperfusion therapy with thrombolytic agents has been a significant advancement in the management of patients with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction. The outcome of acute myocardial infarction has significantly improved by early application of thrombolytic therapy. Intracoronary streptokinase has been used for >30 years, but reawakening interest occurred in the early 1980s in the use of thrombolytic therapy to establish rapid reperfusion during an acute myocardial infarction. Initial studies aimed at direct intracoronary thrombolysis, but owing to its cumbersome process and requirement of an active round the clock cardiac catheterization laboratory, it has been replaced by regimens of intravenous thrombolytic therapy which is as efficacious as intracoronary administration. Consideration of thrombolytic therapy has become a standard treatment for patients presenting with acute ST elevation myocardial infarction and various well-controlled trials have demonstrated the importance of both early and full reperfusion in improving clinical outcome in the setting of acute myocardial infarction. The subject of intravenous thrombolysis is perhaps the most rapidly evolving area in the management of acute myocardial infarction patients in the past decade. The current review focuses on the thrombolysis in the treatment of myocardial infarction and other conditions.     

Fibrinolytic therapy in acute stroke

Acute ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe, North America, and Asia. Its treatment has completely changed over the past decade with different interventional approaches, such as intravenous trials, intra-arterial trials, combined intravenous/intra-arterial trials, and newer devices to mechanically remove the clot from intracranial arteries. Intravenous thrombolysis with tissue plaminogen activator (tPA) within 4.5 hours of symptoms onset significantly improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Pharmacological intra-arterial thrombolysis has been shown effective until 6 hours after middle cerebral artery occlusion and offers a higher rate of recanalization compared with intravenous thrombolysis, whereas combined intravenous/ intra-arterial thrombolysis seems to be as safe as isolated intravenous thrombolysis. The more recent advances in reperfusion therapies have been done in mechanical embolus disruption or removal. Merci Retriever and Penumbra System have been approved for clot removal in brain arteries, but not as a therapeutic modality for acute ischemic stroke since it is no clear whether mechanical thrombectomy improves clinical outcome in acute stroke. However, mechanical devices are being used in clinical practice for patients who are ineligible for tPA or who have failed to respond to intravenous tPA. We summarize the results of the major thrombolytic trials and the latest neurointerventional approaches to ischemic stroke.     

静脉溶栓桥接治疗急性缺血性卒中

静脉溶栓是治疗急性缺血性卒中的首选方法,但在大血管闭塞性卒中患者中的血管再通率较低.以血管内机械血栓切除术为代表的血管内治疗能有效使缺血性卒中患者闭塞血管再通和改善转归.文章对静脉溶栓桥接治疗的现状和发展方向进行了综述.     

Acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke: What are the differences? Focus on reperfusion therapy

This review compares acute myocardial infarction and acute stroke— their similarities and differences. The focus is given on reperfusion therapy: pharmacologic, mechanical or combined. The key trials and metaanalyses are described.The published data on iv. thrombolysis show, that even among a subgroup of patients treated within 90 min from stroke onset the trend to lower mortality is not significant and in all other subgroups (i.e. treated after >90 min) there is a trend towards increased mortality with thrombolytic treatment.The data on combined therapy demonstrate, that there is no benefit from facilitated intervention (iv. thrombolysis followed by ia. thrombolysis ± catheter intervention) over iv. thrombolysis alone in acute stroke. This is very similar to the situation in acute myocardial infarction 25 years ago (intracoronary thrombolysis was not superior to intravenous thrombolysis) or more recently (facilitated PCI was not shown to be superior in several trials).The latest generation of stent retrievers is able to recanalize >70% of occluded intracranial arteries—approximately twice more compared to thrombolysis. However, it is not yet known whether this translates to better clinical outcomes. The sufficient data on clinical outcomes after primary catheter-based thrombectomy (without thrombolysis) are still missing and trials comparing iv. thrombolysis versus primary catheter-based thrombectomy are urgently needed.The future trials in acute stroke may follow the way paved by acute myocardial infarction trials. If such trials would demonstrate superiority of catheter-based thrombectomy, we can face in future similar revolution in acute stroke treatment as we have been facing in acute MI treatment in the past years.     

Catheter‐based therapy for acute ischemic stroke: A national unmet need

Early reperfusion therapy for acute stroke, similar to acute myocardial infarction, has the best opportunity to reduce morbidity and mortality. Treatment options include intravenous (IV) thrombolysis therapy and/or catheter‐based therapy (CBT). Catheter‐based therapies include local intra‐arterial thrombolysis, mechanical thrombectomy, and angioplasty techniques. Intravenous thrombolysis is limited to the first three hours after symptom onset, which excludes many patients with disabling stroke deficits. Catheter‐based therapy is effective up to seven hours after onset, but availability is limited by the lack of neurointerventionalists available around the clock to provide this care. To increase the number of providers for acute stroke reperfusion therapy, we have formed a multidisciplinary team to take advantage of cardiologists' carotid stent placement experience to provide continuous coverage for emergency reperfusion therapy. We present two cases of acute stroke treated with CBT by interventional cardiologists. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Incidence, risk factors, and clinical outcome of stroke after acute myocardial infarction in clinical practice. MIR and MITRA Study Groups. Myocardial Infarction Registry. Maximal Individual Therapy in Acute Myocardial Infarction

In this analysis of ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in 21,330 consecutively included patients with AMI, we found an incidence of stroke after AMI of 1.2% and a very poor prognosis. Previous stroke, atrial fibrillation, and older age were the strongest predictors of stroke after AMI; thrombolysis was a borderline risk factor and early therapy with aspirin was associated with a reduction in stroke after AMI.     

rt-PA静脉溶栓治疗急性脑梗死的临床研究

目的探讨重组组织型纤溶酶原激活物（rt-PA）静脉溶栓治疗急性脑梗死的临床疗效。方法 69例发病在4.5小时内具有溶栓指征的急性脑梗死患者,其中观察组37例行rt-PA静脉溶栓,对照组32例行常规抗血小板治疗。以美国国立卫生院卒中量表（NIHSS）评分评定溶栓后临床疗效,以Barthel指数（BI）评分及改良Rankin量表（mRS）评分判断治疗后90d生活质量及预后。结果观察组治疗后2h、24h、7d NIHSS评分显著低于对照组[（9.23±3.51）vs（11.32±1.12）,（6.72±2.31）vs（9.24±2.53）,（4.23±2.12）vs（7.34±1.43）],差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;治疗后90天BI评分观察组显著高于对照组[（78.56±3.51）vs（61.30±4.13）],差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;治疗后90天mRS评分疗效良好率观察组显著高于对照组[67.56%（25/37）vs 34.38%（11/32）],差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）。观察组24h脑出血率及死亡率高于对照组[16.21%（6/37）vs 9.37%（3/32）],但差异无统计学意义（P〉0.05）。结论时间窗内rt-PA静脉溶栓治疗急性脑梗死近、远期疗效均较常规抗血小板治疗显著。     

Emergency Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke

With the advent of new therapeutic options for acute ischemic stroke, expeditious evaluation of patients with suspected stroke has become imperative. Goals of the initial evaluation are to determine the time of symptom onset, severity of the neurologic deficit, and to exclude intracranial hemorrhage and other mimics of acute ischemic stroke. CT and MRI perfusion studies may demonstrate the presence of an ischemic penumbra and aid in identification of patients who may benefit from thrombolysis. Intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rtPA) remains the gold standard for acute ischemic stroke treatment, and the therapeutic time window recently has been extended to 4.5 h in certain patients. Catheter-based intra-arterial thrombolysis is being used increasingly as “rescue therapy” after IV rtPA and as primary therapy in select patients who are ineligible for intravenous therapy. Trials investigating the efficacy and safety of intra-arterial therapy are ongoing.     

Reperfusion therapy in acute myocardial infarction: Present status and controversy

Coronary thrombolysis revolutionized the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Most of the experience was obtained with intravenous use of streptokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activator, the latter being superior to streptokinase in regard to coronary recanalization. Numerous other promising thrombolytic agents are being investigated. Both streptokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activator decreased mortality in large trials; comparison studies in terms of efficacy are presently being performed (GISSI 2). Aspirin is an important adjunct to thrombolytic therapy; it decreased mortality by itself (ISIS 2). Heparin is conventionally used together with thrombolysis. Its efficacy is under study (GISSI 2). Intracranial hemorrhage is the most devastating complication of thrombolysis. With the present dosage regimens, the incidence is approximately 0.5%. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in conjunction with thrombolysis accomplished frequent and persistent recanalization of the infarct artery with low mortality, including high risk patients. The TIMI IIB study demonstrated that the results of a “conservative strategy” with aggressive management of recurrent ischemic events were comparable to those of an “invasive strategy.” Subgroup analysis should, however, be awaited. High risk patients with low ejection fraction or with shock benefit by early mechanical coronary recanalization. The role of throm bolysis in the “late” stage of transmural myocardial infarction or in the acute ischemic syndrome (unstable angina/non-Q-wave myocardial infarction) is unclear and presently under investigation.     

Pseudostabilization of unstable angina pectoris: disappearance of symptoms in persistence of silent myocardial ischemia

We studied a patient hospitalized with unstable angina pectoris; ST-segment analysis during Holter ECG revealed several silent ischemic attacks despite complete disappearance of anginal symptoms under medical treatment. Prior to cardiac catheterization the patient went into acute myocardial infarction. Immediate intravenous thrombolysis and subsequent angioplasty of a high-grade stenosis abolished the ischemic events. ST-segment analysis during Holter ECG offers a method to detect ischemic events despite the disappearance of anginal symptoms in the clinical course of unstable angina pectoris. This technique might therefore identify patients with unstable angina pectoris at higher risk for further cardiac events.     

逆向精确溶栓联合支架植入术治疗急性冠状动脉闭塞病变1例

急性心肌梗死的再灌注治疗是挽救患者生命、降低早期死亡率及提高患者生活质量的最重要方法。目前,实现缺血心肌再灌注的有效方法主要有静脉溶栓、冠状动脉内溶栓、血栓抽吸及通过介入方法直接开通梗塞相关动脉等。但冠状动脉闭塞病变施行逆向溶栓的方法国内外尚无报道。本文报告1例运用尿激酶经微导管行冠状动脉逆向溶栓联合支架植入开通阻塞动脉,最终效果良好。但靶血管血栓性病变如何界定、具体标准操作方法及对远期疗效观察等方面的问题,仍有待进一步研究明确。     

Stroke intervention: catheter-based therapy for acute ischemic stroke

The majority (>80%) of the three-quarters of a million strokes that will occur in the United States this year are ischemic in nature. The treatment of acute ischemic stroke is very similar to acute myocardial infarction, which requires timely reperfusion therapy for optimal results. The majority of patients with acute ischemic stroke do not receive any form of reperfusion therapy, unlike patients with acute myocardial infarction. Improving outcomes for acute stroke will require patient education to encourage early presentation, an aggressive expansion of qualified hospitals, and willing providers and early imaging strategies to match patients with their best options for reperfusion therapy to minimize complications.     

急性缺血性卒中患者血管内介入治疗的循证医学证据

血管内介入治疗已成为急性缺血性卒中治疗的研究热点,主要包括动脉溶栓、动静脉联合溶栓、机械再通、血管成形和支架置入术等。文章对血管内介入治疗急性缺血性卒中患者的循证证据进行了综述。     

Thrombolysis for Acute Stroke in Hemodialysis: International Survey of Expert Opinion

Summary

Background and objectives

Although data are absent, it has been stated that thrombolysis is probably not safe in the treatment of acute stroke in patients undergoing hemodialysis. The objective of this study was for stroke experts to define the range of management concerning thrombolytic treatment of acute stroke in hemodialysis.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

Sixty-five stroke experts in thrombolytic therapy of acute ischemic stroke were queried regarding their personal experience in the use of thrombolysis in hemodialysis patients. Hypothetical case scenarios were presented.

Results

Of the 65 stroke experts who were queried, 40 (62%) responded. One-third of the responders had previously treated hemodialysis patients with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA). Most favored use of intravenous rt-PA for hemodialysis patients with acute ischemic stroke. When presented with a case of a patient who had recently undergone dialysis with a mildly prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), 50% favored immediate intravenous thrombolysis. Seventy-eight percent of the experts would have considered an intra-arterial approach and would have preferred mechanical clot retrieval to thrombolysis.

Conclusions

Despite the acknowledged absence of data and prevalent concerns about bleeding risk, most surveyed experts favored its use. One-third reported treating hemodialysis patients with this therapy. Although these results do not substitute for data, they usefully define the range of current practice of stroke experts.     

Management of Acute Ischemic Stroke

The treatment of acute ischemic stroke includes both intravenous (IV) thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy. Important advances regarding both treatment modalities have occurred recently that all physicians who see patients at risk for or who have had a stroke should be aware of. This review will focus on recent clinical trials of IV thrombolysis both positive and negative. Additionally, the results of a large number of early and late time window thrombectomy trials will be presented that demonstrate the remarkable efficacy of this treatment for appropriately selected patients.