Fibrinolysis Therapy Eligibility
In remote areas, the delivery of pPCI in a timely manner (i.e. meeting current guidelines) is nearly
impossible; therefore healthcare providers will need to assess the patient for fibrinolysis therapy.
Although it improves patient outcomes, administration of fibrinolysis therapy can place patients at
increased risk for bleeding. Certain conditions are considered absolute contraindications to fibrinolysis
therapy whereas others are considered relative contraindications. The relative and absolute
contraindications must be evaluated prior to administration of fibrinolysis. Fibrinolysis therapy should
not be given to individuals with absolute contraindications and/or patients with symptoms longer than
12 hours. For the relative contraindications the benefit must be weighed against the increased risk of
bleeding in patients being considered for fibrinolysis therapy. Prior to drug administration the RN must
insert two intravenous (IV) lines. It is preferred that the right wrist is not used for any IV line. It is
essential that the patient is connected to a cardiac monitor at all times and that the defibrillator is ready
to be used in case of emergency (O’Gara et al., 2013).