What is fibrinolytic (clot dissolving) treatment?
Heart attack is damage to the heart muscle caused by the blockage of one of the coronary vessels feeding the heart. Fibrinolytic therapy (also known as thrombolytic therapy) is a form of treatment applied to patients who have had a heart attack in order to dissolve the clot that forms in the vessel feeding the heart and blocks the vessel. With fibrinolytic therapy, melting the clot and restoring the flow in the heart vessels is important for the patient in the early and late periods. provides benefits. In particular, the most important goal of heart attack treatment is to shorten the time between the onset of heart attack complaints and the application of this treatment as much as possible. With timely fibrinolytic treatment, the risk of death from heart attack can be reduced by 30 to 50%.
What preparations should be made before the fibrinolytic treatment procedure?
You will be admitted to the coronary intensive care unit before the treatment. Your ECG will be taken and blood samples will be taken to evaluate your blood findings. You will be closely monitored in the coronary intensive care unit. You will be connected to monitors that constantly show your heart rhythm, and other medications you need to take will be administered orally or intravenously.
A second intravenous line may be opened in your arm to apply this treatment method.
What may be encountered during the fibrinolytic treatment process?
The application of this treatment method is quite simple. The medicine to be used will be given through the opened intravenous line for certain periods of time, depending on the specified medicine. You will be conscious during the procedure and will be closely monitored.
Rhythm disturbances and increased chest pain may occur while the medication is administered.
During and after the procedure, your ECGs will be taken and nurses will closely monitor your blood pressure and heart rhythm.
After fibrinolytic treatment, your heart disease status will be evaluated by your doctor and he will share treatment and follow-up options with you.
What are the expected benefits of fibrinolytic treatment?
If fibrinolytic treatment can be given in a short time and the clot can be dissolved, the wound (infarction) area in the heart will be small and heart functions will be reduced. remains intact or only slightly affected.
With this treatment method applied early, the lifespan of patients suffering from heart attack can be extended. In addition, as a result of this procedure with medication, it is expected that your chest pain or hospital admission complaints will decrease, and serious heart rhythm disorders and cardiac arrest will be prevented. Opening the heart vessels will cause them to work better.
What are the drug-related risks that may occur during fibrinolytic treatment?
The main risks that may develop due to fibrinolytic treatment are death, stroke (paralysis), bleeding and allergic reactions.
The most serious risk is that the patient may have a stroke (stroke) due to brain bleeding during or after treatment, or death due to this bleeding. These risks are below 1%. Stroke risk may vary depending on the patient's age, characteristics, and other existing diseases (high blood pressure, previous stroke, etc.).
Since the drug used is a strong clot dissolver, the patient may experience bleeding. Mild amounts of bleeding on the skin and at needle insertion sites are common. Serious bleeding requiring blood transfusion is less common. Serious bleeding may occur from the stomach or urinary tract or from other areas.
Depending on the drug used, although rare, low blood pressure, allergic reactions (less than one in a thousand), fever, and rhythm disturbances may occur.
If you have previously been treated with fibrinolytic therapy, you must state it. Re-administration of the same drug at certain intervals may cause significant side effects.
Very rarely, side effects other than those mentioned above may occur.
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