Early revascularization in acute myocardial infarction complicated by cardiogenic shock

Patients who develop cardiogenic shock after a heart attack may benefit from procedures that open up clogged coronary arteries. Cardiogenic shock is the most common cause of death in patients who have a heart attack. Researchers randomly assigned 302 heart attack patients to receive regular medical care or emergency angioplasty or coronary artery bypass. Although 30-day mortality rates did not differ between the two groups, six-month mortality rates were lower in the group that received emergency angioplasty or coronary artery bypass.