To print: Select File and then Print from your browser's menu --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Title: Single Bolus Dose Of Tenecteplase As Effective As Gold Standard For MI Treatment URL: http://www.pslgroup.com/dg/125E7A.htm Doctor's Guide August 27, 1999
LONDON, ENGLAND -- Aug. 27, 1999 -- Reperfusion therapy to improve blood flow by breaking down the blood clot (fibrinolysis) is the first step in treatment after myocardial infarction. The current gold standard regimen is an initial dose in one administration (bolus) of 15 mg alteplase, followed by administration by infusion of 85mg over 90 min, during which the concentration of the drug is tapered. In this weeks' issue of The Lancet, the Assessment of the Safety and Efficacy of a New Thrombolytic Investigators from Belgium studied the use of another drug, tenecteplase, that can be given to patients in a single-bolus dose. The study enrolled 16,949 patients who had acute myocardial infarction within six hours before inclusion. They were randomly assigned alteplase front loaded infusion (100 mg) or single-bolus tenecteplase (30-50 mg, adjusted according to bodyweight), all with additional aspirin and heparin. The investigators compared all-cause mortality after 30 days in the two groups. Overall, tenecteplase and alteplase produced similar results in the two groups for the rates of death. Rates of other complications, such as bleeding complications and non-fatal stroke were similar but slightly lower in the tenecteplase group. The researchers said that the ease of administration with the single bolus might make early therapy out of hospital feasible. "Given the persistent delay in starting reperfusion therapy after symptom onset, prehospital thrombolysis with single-bolus tenecteplase seems to be an approach worth testing," the researchers write. Related Links: The Lancet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright © 1999 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of P\S\L content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of P\S\L. P\S\L shall not be liable for any errors, omissions or delays in this content or any other content on its sites, newsletters or other publications, nor for any decisions or actions taken in reliance on such content. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This news story was printed from *Doctor's Guide to the Internet* located at http://www.docguide.com --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to News Story Page This site is maintained by webmaster@pslgroup.com Please contact us with any comments, problems or bugs. All contents Copyright (c) 1998 P\S\L Consulting Group Inc. All rights reserved.