Impact of post-fibrinolytic angioplasty on mortality and complications

Ischemic heart disease (IHD) is the leading cause of death and disability worldwide, posing a significant public health concern regarding the quality of life and health-associated financial burden. Considering the impact of IHD in all areas, proper management has become the principal interest of many associations. While international guidelines recommend implementing a watchful strategy after thrombolysis, emerging evidence might show otherwise. Some authors have suggested to perform an early percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) after thrombolysis to further increase the benefits of the revascularization therapy. This alternative has been termed early routine post-thrombolysis PCI (ER-PCI). Several researchers have compared it against current recommendations to find whether it is truly advantageous. This review aims to analyze the evidence regarding the benefits of ER-PCI in contrast to current strategies, considering mortality, complications, and reinfarction as primary endpoints for comparison.