AUSTRALIAN MULTICENTRE TRIAL OF STREPTOKINASE IN ACUTE MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION

In a multicentre controlled trial 517 patients with the clinical diagnosis of myocardial infarction within the preceding 24 hours were admitted to coronary-care units, and allocated at random to receive streptokinase followed by heparin and warfarin (264 patients) or anticoagulants only (253 patients). On retrospective analysis the groups were found to be comparable. 26 (9·8%) of those treated with streptokinase and 32 (12·6%) of those in the control group died within 3 months. This difference is not statistically significant. The results suggest that streptokinase benefits those over 60 years of age, those with a history of past infarction, and those with a Peel prognostic score over 17. Although the numbers are too small for these differences to be statistically significant the trial is continuing. There was no difference in the incidence of angina or heart-failure at 3 months.