Thrombolysis
A heart attack is caused by a clot in the coronary artery which supplies the heart. A heart attack can therefore be treated with clot-dissolving drugs (thrombolysis), which help to restore blood supply in the coronary arteries. However an increasing number of hospitals now offer angioplasty instead as the first treatment for acute myocardial infarction (primary angioplasty). Thrombolysis should be administered to the appropriate patient within one hour of calling for professional help, according to national guidelines, as this can dramatically improve rates of survival.
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