MMC study compares two treatment strategies for STEMI in resource-limited settings

In many of parts of India and other low-and middle-income countries (LMIC), access to timely angioplasty for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), a severe type of heart attack caused by a 100% blockage of a coronary artery, remains a challenge due to limited specialised centres and factors such as transport delays and financial constraints.

A new study from the Madras Medical College (MMC) has compared treatment outcomes between two groups of STEMI patients — those who underwent immediate angioplasty (Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention or Primary PCI) and those who first received a clot-dissolving treatment (fibrinolysis), followed by angioplasty, within three to 48 hours, a time 24 hours longer than the conventionally recommended window.