Acute myocardial infarction. Treatment in the coronary care unit.

Management of the patient with acute myocardial infarction is in flux. In the current "reperfusion era," many patients receive intravenous thrombolytic therapy and aspirin before admission to the coronary care unit. Appropriate use of drugs limits expansion of the infarct and reduces mortality rates in patients with uncomplicated myocardial infarction. Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty may be necessary in those who are not candidates for drug treatment or who show recurrent ischemia after thrombolysis, while cardiac transplantation may be the only hope for patients with multivessel disease who are in cardiogenic shock. The "cocktail era," in which polypharmacy is both acceptable and effective, will likely be the next stage in management of acute myocardial infarction.