A Randomised Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy of Low-dose Intracoronary Tenecteplase in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) Patients With High Microvascular Resistance Post-percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI).
Heart attacks are caused by a blood clot blocking the blood vessels of the heart, preventing blood getting to the heart muscle. Opening up the artery with a balloon (angioplasty) and a small mesh tube (stent) although life saving can cause this clot to break up and get washed downstream, which can make the heart attack worse. The investigators can measure the amount of damage caused to the microcirculation by calculating the IMR (Index of Microcirculatory resistance). This can be measured by a wire in the coronary artery with a pressure sensor at the tip. If the IMR is elevated, it is suggestive of extensive microcirculatory damage. A clot dissolving medicine can be administered in the artery to try and reduce the IMR which can reduce damage to the heart muscle and improve outcomes. Impaired microcirculatory perfusion in patients as a result of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is associated with poor clinical outcomes. This project seeks to identify patients with impaired microcirculatory perfusion after STEMI and to assess whether acute improvement in microcirculatory perfusion in these patients by the use of intracoronary thrombolytic therapy results in improved clinical outcomes.
• Adult men and women aged over 18 who present with STEMI within 6 hours of symptom onset. Patients will be eligible if they have symptoms consistent with myocardial ischaemia (chest pain, dyspnoea) for at least 20 minutes accompanied by definite ECGs indicating STEMI as defined by Australian National Heart Foundation (NHF) guidelines
• Willing and able to comply with all study requirements, including treatment, assessment and clinic visit attendances
• Able to personally read and understand the Participant Information and Consent Form and provide written, signed and dated informed consent to participate in the study
• (At time of PCI) Patient has received metallic drug-eluting stent
• Participant consents to have a 3-7 day (discharge) and 6 month follow up cardiac MRI