Thrombolytic therapy for myocardial infarction.

Thrombolytic therapy has provided a practical means of reducing infarct size and infarct-related mortality. Clinicians must weigh the apparent risks and benefits of thrombolytic therapy: if the ischemic region is large, if treatment can be applied early enough to salvage ischemic myocardium, and if there is no obvious risk of life-threatening hemorrhage, it is likely the patient will benefit from thrombolytic therapy.