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"Clot buster" v/s angioplasty/stent?
Which one to use?
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Only 20% of hospitals in the USA are equipped to perform emergency angioplasty & stents.
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Time is of essence in saving threatened heart muscle. Therefore, treatment with a "clot buster" mediciation is strongly considered when access to a cardiac cath lab is not readily available, i.e., when the transporation time to a properly equipped facility is usually more than an hour).
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Many patients in the USA, who have received a "clot buster" medication end up having cardiac catheterization following a heart attack. Angioplasty or use of a stent is frequently applied in such patients.
- In some cases, physicians may choose to delay cardiac catheterization if a subsequent stress test is acceptable.
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