Recurrent early ischemic events after thrombolysis for acute myocardial infarction.

Abstract Myocardium salvaged by early thrombolysis and then perfused through a residual stenosis may be at risk for ischemic events. To investigate this possibility, the short-term (2-week) clinical course of 81 consecutive patients managed within a randomized intracoronary thrombolysis trial was reviewed. All patients underwent coronary anglography within 5 hours of symptoms of acute myocardial infarction and were stratified into the following 3 outcome groups: patients with initially subtotal occlusion (subtotal group, n= 17), those with initial total occlusion and infarct artery reperfusion (reperfused group, n = 24) and those with continued infarct artery occlusion (occluded group, n = 40). Recurrent ischemic events were defined as spontaneous typical angina, provokable angina on predischarge exercise testing, and reinfarction. Eleven of 17 patients (65%) in the subtotal and 11 of 23 patients (48%) in the reperfused groups had an ischemic event (difference not significant). In contrast, 4 of 37 patients (11%) with occlusion had an ischemic event (p