[Echocardiographic evaluation of intravenous streptokinase in myocardial infarction in the acute phase].

The effects of intravenous fibrinolysis on left ventricular function in acute myocardial infarction were investigated by two-dimensional echocardiography in patients aged less than 70 for whom fibrinolysis was not contra-indicated and who were admitted less than 6 hours after the onset of a first myocardial infarction without heart failure. The 12 patients thus recruited were male; their mean age was 55 years and the infarct was anterior in 6 cases and posterior in 6 cases. Streptokinase was administered first by bolus intravenous injection (250,000 IU over 20 min), then by intravenous infusion (100,000 IU over 12 hours); this was followed by heparin.