title: Pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by angioplasty or primary angioplasty in acute myocardial infarction: the long-term clinical outcome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Randomized trials comparing primary angioplasty and in-hospital fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have shown an advantage for primary angioplasty. The long-term follow-up of pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by elective or rescue coronary angioplasty versus primary angioplasty is not well established after acute myocardial infarction. This study sought to assess the long-term clinical outcome of patients with AMI having either received pre-hospital fibrinolysis optimized by coronary angioplasty or primary angioplasty.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis involving 318 patients who either underwent primary angioplasty ( n = 157) or received pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by an angioplasty (rescue or elective) ( n = 161) within 6 hours of the onset of chest pain.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The groups were similar regarding their baseline characteristics except for the ages. No difference was noted for in-hospital mortality (primary PTCA group: 2.48%, combined group: 2.54%; p = ns) with no increased risk of hemorrhage. The 3-year mortality was not significantly different in the two groups (9.7% vs. 4.9%; p = 0.15). Regarding major adverse cardiac events (29.5% vs. 37.5%; p = 0.23), reintervention (22.5% vs. 23.2%; p = 0.99) or target lesion revascularization (16.1% vs. 14.7%; p = 0.68), the groups were statistically similar.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data from real-life practice emphasize the safety and similar benefits on the long-term clinical outcome of AMI patients having undergone either pre-hospital fibrinolysis followed by angioplasty or primary angioplasty.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, CHU Rangueil, 1 avenue Jean Poulhès, 31403 Toulouse Cedex, France. roncalli.j@chu-toulouse.fr
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roncalli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Brunelle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Galinier
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carrié
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fourcade
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elbaz
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Gaston
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Charpentier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Puel
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Fauvel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D004632:Emergency Medical Services; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome