title: Patient selection for percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction.
abstract: Whether thrombolytic therapy or immediate angioplasty should be the preferred treatment for patients with acute myocardial infarction has not yet been decided. Emergency angioplasty can be used as primary therapy, as an adjunct to thrombolytic therapy, or as a salvage procedure in patients in whom thrombolysis fails. Immediate angioplasty produces a higher recanalization rate, yet reclosure is more likely with this procedure. In many cases, patient selection for acute angioplasty remains controversial. Randomized trials comparing the results of thrombolysis with those of angioplasty are needed before definitive decisions can be made.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Radiology, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta, Georgia 30322.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: King
mesh_terms: D000800:Angioplasty, Balloon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004630:Emergencies; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents