Reduction of left ventricular damage with intracoronary streptokinase in acute myocardial infarction.

The effect of successful intracoronary thrombolysis on left ventricular function in patients with acute myocardial infarction (10 patients with anterior and 13 with inferior infarction) was compared with an untreated matched control group (14 patients with anterior and 28 with inferior infarction). Left ventricular wall motion abnormalities (LVWMA) and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed angiographically 6-8 weeks after the acute event in both groups. The severity and extent of LVWMA was less (P less than 0.01) and the EF was higher (P less than 0.01) in the treated patients with anterior infarction than in the control group. In treated patients with inferior infarction the severity of LVWMA was less (P less than 0.01) than in the control group. No significant difference was found in extent of LVWMA or in EF. These results suggest that thrombolysis reduces left ventricular damage especially in anterior myocardial infarction.