and left Ventkular Function -After Intravenouk Thrombolysis for Acute Myocardial Infarction

Reperfusion, sustained early patency, prevention of reocclusion, and preservation of left ventricular (LV) function are thought to be the basis for the beneficial effect of thrombolytic therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction. Although many angiographic studies have assessed infarct artery patency and LV function in patients receiving thrombolytic therapy, the results of individual studies have generally been limited by wide confidence intervals because each study involved small numbers of patients. Moreover, individual angiographic studies have usually collected data at only 1 or 2 time points, failing to provide sequential information about infarct artery patency or LV function over time. This study provides a more reliable estimate of patterns of perfusion, reocclusion, and LV ejection fraction after frequently used intravenous thrombolytic regimens by pooling angiographic data from all available studies.