Intravenous streptokinase therapy for acute myocardial infarction in a community hospital: effect on ventricular function and mortality.

Streptokinase can dramatically impact upon management of myocardial infarctions in community hospitals. When given by experienced personnel during the first six hours after onset of symptoms, streptokinase is associated with a high patency rate, improved left ventricular function, and reduced mortality. Careful screening of patients results in a low complication rate with infrequent serious bleeding. Streptokinase should be utilized in those hospitals without cardiac catheterization facilities, but in light of the relatively high incidence of recurrent pain (15.8%), transfer of stable patients to a facility with a catheterization laboratory should be carried out within 24 to 72 hours. As approximately 60% of patients will require PTCA, CABG, or both, diagnostic cardiac catheterization should be considered in all patients unless there are other mitigating factors.