Perspectives in the management of acute myocardial infarction

The primary objective of the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), with sudden and unexpected death essentially eliminated by the preventive approach to the ventricular arrhythmias is now the other major complication of AMI : pump failure. Although advances have been made in the treatment of heart failure, it remains the primary cause of in-hospital death from AMI. The extent of ischemic necrosis correlates well with the degree of pump failure and with mortality. Over the last 15 years, intervention trials to reduce infarct size and mortality during the acute phase of AMI have been performed with beta-blockers, calcium antagonists and thrombolytic drugs.