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thrombolysis

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Also known as thrombolytic therapy, fibrinolytic therapy

Thrombolysis, also called fibrinolytic therapy, is the breakdown (lysis) of blood clots formed in blood vessels, using medication. It is used in ST elevation myocardial infarction, stroke, and in cases of severe venous thromboembolism (massive pulmonary embolism or extensive deep vein thrombosis).

Key facts

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Angiograph before and after thrombolytic therapy in a case of thrombosis on the hand.png
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Angiograph before and after thrombolytic therapy in a case of acute limb ischemia of the hand.
Medical intervention.synonyms
Fibrinolytic therapy
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007089
Medical intervention.eMedicine
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via Wikipedia infobox

~9 min read

Encyclopedic overview

10 sections
Contents
  • Medical uses
  • Contraindications
  • Myocardial infarction
  • Stroke
  • Side-effects
  • Agents
  • Catheter-directed thrombolysis
  • Research
  • See also
  • References

Thrombolysis, also called fibrinolytic therapy, is the breakdown (lysis) of blood clots formed in blood vessels, using medication. It is used in ST elevation myocardial infarction, stroke, and in cases of severe venous thromboembolism (massive pulmonary embolism or extensive deep vein thrombosis).

Thrombolytic medications pose a risk of serious bleeding, and in some situations thrombolysis may therefore be unsuitable. Thrombolysis can also play an important part in reperfusion therapy in blocked arteries.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “thrombolysis” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.