title: Thrombolysis and mechanical intervention following myocardial infarction.
abstract: In concept, mechanical interventions are attractive options for treating acute myocardial infarction with or without preceding thrombolysis: rapid reperfusion of the infarct-related artery can be achieved in the vast majority of cases, and the underlying coronary lesion is treated at the same time. Various strategies have been extensively investigated. When performed in specialized centres, direct percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) without prior thrombolysis appears to improve the outcome more than conventional thrombolysis. Whether this also holds true for the diverse range of hospitals remains unknown. Routine PTCA after thrombolysis did not show any benefit over thrombolysis alone. Rescue PTCA after failed thrombolysis is probably beneficial. Currently, only limited experience exists with other mechanical interventions, including intra-aortic balloon pumping, thrombectomy with special new devices, or stent insertion, which need further investigation before they can be recommended for routine use in acute myocardial infarction.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik II, Städtische Kliniken GmbH, Mönchebergstrasse 41-43, D-34125 Kassel, Germany.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vogt
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Neuhaus
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000628:therapy*; D015425:Myocardial Reperfusion / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents