[Importance of the early intravenous administration of streptokinase in acute myocardial infarct].

To evaluate the importance of early initiation of fibrinolytic therapy with intravenous streptokinase (IVSK), we studied 34 consecutive patients, within less than six hours of the onset of acute myocardial infarction, who were treated with 1.5 million units of intravenous streptokinase. All the patients had coronary angiograms in the first seventy two hours. We correlated the angiograms with the time of onset of the IVSK. The patients were divided into 3 groups: Group num. 1: From zero to two hours (twelve patients); Group num. 2: From two to four hours (13 patients); and Group num. 3: From four to six hours (nine patients). We had angiographic reperfusion in twenty-four patients (70.2%) P less than 0.05. We observed reopening in the patients of group num. 1 (83.3%); in group 2, nine patients (69%) and in group num. 3, five patients, (55.5%), with statistical significance only in group num. 1 (p less than 0.05). We also demonstrated the utility of the electrocardiographic and enzymatic criteria to predict reperfusion. No mortality was related to the procedure. We concluded that a higher percentage of reperfusion is obtained the sooner intravenous streptokinase therapy is initiated.