Effect of heparin on coronary arterial patency after thrombolysis with tissue plasminogen activator in acute myocardial infarction

Abstract

Infarct artery patency rates at 90 minutes after coronary thrombolysis using recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) with and without concurrent heparin anticoagulation have been shown to be comparable. The contribution of heparin to efficacy and safety after thrombolysis with rt-PA is unknown. In this pilot study, 84 patients were treated within 6 hours of onset of acute myocardial infarction (mean of 2.7 hours) with the standard dose of 100 mg of rt-PA over 3 hours. Forty-two patients were randomized to receive additionally immediate intravenous heparin anticoagulation (5,000 U of intravenous bolus followed by 1,000 U/hour titrated to a partial thromboplastin time of 1.5 to 2.0 times control) while 42 patients received rt-PA alone. Coronary angiography performed on day 3 (48 to 72 hours, mean 57) after rt-PA therapy revealed infarct artery patency rates of 71 and 43% in anticoagulated and control patients, respectively (p = 0.015). Recurrent ischemia or infarction, or both, occurred in 3 (7.1%) anticoagulated patients and 5 (11.9%) control patients (difference not significant). Mild, moderate and severe bleeding occurred in 52, 10 and 2% of the group receiving anticoagulation, respectively, and 34, 2 and 0% of patients in the control group, respectively (p = 0.006). These data indicate that after rt-PA therapy of acute myocardial infarction, heparin therapy is associated with substantially higher coronary patency rates 3 days after thrombolysis but is accompanied by an increased incidence of minor bleeding complications.