Assessment of Left Ventricular Function in a Randomised Study of Intravenous Anisoylated Plasminogen Streptokinase Activator Complex versus Heparin in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Patients admitted within 4 hours of the onset of chest pain suggestive of acute myocardial infarction were randomised to either intravenous anisoylated plasminogen streptokinase activator complex (APSAC) 30U or heparin 5000U (44 vs 38 patients). Angiograms were obtained between days 10 and 15 after admission. Late coronary patency was recorded in a significantly higher proportion of patients in the APSAC group (79% vs 42%, p less than 0.001). The global ejection fraction showed only a favourable trend: 55.3 +/- 12% for the APSAC group vs 54.1 +/- 13.1% for the heparin group; this trend was only observed in the inferior infarction group. Regional wall motion analysis did not show any significant difference between treatment groups.