Spontaneous pulmonary hemorrhage after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction.
We report a case of 63-year-old man who developed massive pulmonary hemorrhage following intravenous streptokinase for acute myocardial infarction. Pulmonary hemorrhage was diagnosed by the triad of hemoptysis, a drop in hematocrit, and a new unilateral infiltrate on chest radiograph. This diagnosis was confirmed by autopsy findings. Pulmonary hemorrhage has rarely been reported following thrombolytic therapy. We believe that pulmonary hemorrhage is a rare but a potentially life-threatening complication of thrombolytic therapy and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates or falling hemoglobin after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction with no obvious site of bleeding.
Department of Medicine, University Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.
N
N
Awadh
J J
JJ
Ronco
V
V
Bernstein
B
B
Gilks
P
P
Wilcox
D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004844:Epistaxis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung / Q000473:pathology; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D013300:Streptokinase / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*
D013300:Streptokinase