The January 2003 issue of WDDTY (vol 13 no 10) on page 10 included a paragraph suggesting that a less invasive technique than angioplasty working by dissolving blockages had been found.
I found the article, but it does not appear to contain the information mentioned in ‘Shorts’. The reference refers to primary angioplasty versus prehospital fibrinolysis in acute myocardial infarction. Is this reference correct? – R.D. Budd, London SE3
WDDTY replies: Yes, the reference is correct. The study found that infusions of alteplase, an agent that dissolves blood clots (fibrinolysis), was as effective as angioplasty in preventing death, reinfarction or stroke in patients with early myocardial infarction (blocked heart blood vessels).