Lancet
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Comparative Study Clinical Trial
ISIS-3: a randomised comparison of streptokinase vs tissue plasminogen activator vs anistreplase and of aspirin plus heparin vs aspirin alone among 41,299 cases of suspected acute myocardial infarction. ISIS-3 (Third International Study of Infarct Survival) Collaborative Group.
41,299 patients entering 914 hospitals up to 24 h (median 4 h) after the onset of suspected acute myocardial infarction were randomised between streptokinase (SK: 1.5 MU infused over about 1 h), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA, duteplase: 0.60 MU/kg infused over about 4 h), or anisoylated plasminogen-streptokinase activator complex (APSAC), anistreplase: 30 U over about 3 min). All patients were to receive aspirin (162 mg/day enteric-coated), with the first tablet chewed for rapid and full antiplatelet effect. Half of all patients were randomly allocated subcutaneous calcium heparin (12,500 IU starting at 4 h and given twice daily for 7 days or until prior discharge) in addition to aspirin, and the other half were to receive aspirin alone. ⋯ No significant difference was observed in reinfarction (3.47% SK vs 3.55% APSAC). There was no significant mortality difference during days 0-35, either among all randomised patients (1455 [10.6%] SK vs 1448 [10.5%] APSAC) or among the pre-specified subset presenting within 0-6 h of pain onset and with ST elevation on the electrocardiogram in whom fibrinolytic treatment may have most to offer (861 [10.0%] SK vs 855 [9.9%] APSAC). No significant difference in 6-month survival was apparent overall or in the subset.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)