Study of Adverse Events of Streptokinase Therapy in Patients with Acute ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: Despite of different adverse events, streptokinase (SK) is widely used to treat patients presented with acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to observe different adverse events in patients of acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction receiving SK infusion. Methodology: This cross-sectional type of analytic observational study was carried out in the inpatient department of Cardiology at National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases, Dhaka, Bangladesh from December 23rd 2019 to February 22nd 2020 for a period of two (2) months. All patients diagnosed as acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction receiving SK were included in the present study. Adverse events were documented through completing a questionnaire by reviewing the records in the medical file as well as interviewing with the patients. Result: In this study, 43 (26.2%) patients developed different types of adverse events and 121 (73.8%) had no complications following SK infusion. The most common adverse event was hypotension i.e. 26 (60.4%) and other adverse events were bleeding 8 (4.8%) and allergic reaction 7 (4.2%). Statistically significant higher rate of adverse events occurred in diabetic, hypertensive and dyslipidemia group which was 26 (56.5%) Vs. 17 (14.4%), p = 0.000, 37 (36.6%) Vs. 06 (09.5%), p = 0.000 and 18 (54.5%) Vs. 25 (19.1%), p = 0.000 respectively. The independent factors for the development of adverse events were smoking {OR: 5.1 with 95% CI (1.7 to 15.1), p = 0.003}, diabetes {OR: 14.9 with 95% CI (5.0 to 44.8), p = 0.000}, hypertension {OR: 5.1with 95% CI (1.7 to 15.1), p = 0.003} and dyslipidemia {OR: 4.6 with 95% CI (1.5 to 13.7), p = 0.007}. Conclusion: Streptokinase infusion was associated with different adverse events. Among them the commonest one was hypotension and other less common events were minor bleeding and minor allergic reaction. The adverse events were more frequently documented in patients who were smoker, diabetic, hypertensive and dyslipidemic.