PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Gervasio A Lamas
AU  - Judith S Hochman
TI  - Where does the Occluded Artery Trial leave the late open artery hypothesis?
AID  - 10.1136/hrt.2007.123489
DP  - 2007 Nov 01
TA  - Heart
PG  - 1319--1321
VI  - 93
IP  - 11
4099  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/93/11/1319.short
4100  - http://heart.bmj.com/content/93/11/1319.full
SO  - Heart2007 Nov 01; 93
AB  - As of April 2007 the early open artery hypothesis is alive and well, but the late open artery hypothesis is adrift. For the foreseeable future, stable patients with persistent occlusion of the infarct artery late after myocardial infarction, and without severe ischaemia or uncontrollable angina, should be managed initially with optimal medical treatment alone, and not with percutaneous coronary intervention. Efforts should focus on establishing reperfusion earlier, including reducing the time to patient presentation.