Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage following thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction.
We describe a 66-year-old patient with hemoptysis, a drop in hematocrit, hypoxemia and new bilateral alveolar infiltrates after receiving streptokinase for acute myocardial infarction. Markedly increased carbon monoxide diffusion capacity suggested a diagnosis of alveolar hemorrhage. Underlying conditions included congestive heart failure. The patient recovered uneventfully within 7 days of conservative treatment. Alveolar hemorrhage is a rare and often unrecognized life-threatening complication of thrombolytic therapy. Particular attention should be paid to the pulmonary status of patients with congestive heart failure scheduled to receive thrombolytic therapy.
Yigla
M
M
Division of Pulmonary Medicine, Rambam Medical Center and Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. m_yigla@rambam.health.gov.il
Sprecher
E
E
Azzam
Z
Z
Guralnik
L
L
Kapeliovich
M
M
Krivoy
N
N
D000368:Aged; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008171:Lung Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed