Thrombolytics are not given to someone who is having a stroke that involves bleeding in the brain. A physical exam that shows a significant strokeĪs in heart attacks, a clot-dissolving drug isn't usually given if you have one of the other medical problems listed above.
Other factors used to determine if you are a good candidate for thrombolytics include: These factors include your history of chest pain and the results of an ECG test. Your health care provider will base the decisions about whether to give you a thrombolytic medicine for a heart attack on many factors. Further therapy, such as cardiac catheterization with angioplasty and stenting, may be needed. However, the blood flow may not be completely normal and there may still be a small amount of muscle damaged. The drug restores some blood flow to the heart in most people. But the sooner treatment begins, the better the results. Outcomes are better if you receive a thrombolytic drug within 12 hours after the heart attack starts. Thrombolytics can stop a heart attack that would otherwise be larger or potentially deadly. This helps restart blood flow to the heart and helps prevent damage to the heart muscle. Thrombolytics work by dissolving a major clot quickly. This can cause a heart attack, when part of the heart muscle dies due to a lack of oxygen being delivered by the blood. Ideally, you should receive thrombolytic medicines within the first 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital for treatment.Ī blood clot can block the arteries to the heart. The most commonly used drug for thrombolytic therapy is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), but other drugs can do the same thing.
Thrombolytic medicines are approved for the emergency treatment of stroke and heart attack.