Relationship of Therapeutic Improvements and 28-Day Case Fatality in Patients Hospitalized With Acute Myocardial Infarction Between 1978 and 1993 in the REGICOR Study, Gerona, Spain

Our results strongly suggest that new therapies introduced since 1986 have contributed to the decrease in 28-day case fatality of patients admitted with a first Q-wave AMI. This decrease could be attributable mainly to the use of antiplatelet and thrombolytic drugs. These findings should encourage the routine use of thrombolytic and antiplatelet drugs and particularly their combination in the acute phase of AMI.