Usefulness of recanalization to luminal diameter of 0.6 millimeter or more with intracoronary streptokinase during acute myocardial infarction in predicting "normal" perfusion status, continued arterial patency and survival at one year.

To determine whether arteriographic dimensions of the acutely recanalized coronary lumen provide information about regional perfusion or clinical outcome, quantitative arteriography was used to measure minimum luminal diameter achieved with intracoronary streptokinase administration in 44 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Degree of coronary reperfusion was independently assessed visually using the criteria applied in the multicenter Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction study. Minimum diameter and qualitative reperfusion grade were both assessed from 172 coronary injections during thrombolysis. Partial perfusion (grade 1 or 2) was seen in 95 of 135 injections (70%) in which the minimum diameter was less than 0.6 mm and complete perfusion (grade 3) was seen in 35 of 37 injections (95%) in which it was 0.6 mm or more (p less than 0.001). Repeat cardiac catheterization was performed at 5.5 +/- 4.9 weeks after AMI (n = 20). When vessels were opened acutely to a minimum diameter of less than 0.6 mm, 5 of 12 vessels (42%) were reoccluded at the time of restudy and 8 of 29 patients (28%) died within 12 months. By contrast, 0 of 8 vessels (0%) were reoccluded when the artery was opened to a diameter of at least 0.6 mm (difference not significant), and only 1 of 15 patients (7%) died (p less than 0.05). Of the patients with grade 1 o r 2 perfusion at the end of the thrombolytic infusion, 7 of 19 (37%) died within 12 months and 2 of 4 vessels (50%) reoccluded; of the patients with grade 3 perfusion, 2 of 25 (8%) died (p less than 0.05) and 2 of 16 vessels (13%) reoccluded (difference not significant).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)