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The Role of nitroglycerin in Acute Myocardial Infarction

  • Chapter
Early Interventions in Acute Myocardial Infarction

Part of the book series: Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine ((DICM,volume 97))

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Abstract

Since Murrell’s initial description in 1879, sublingual nitroglycerin has been the cornerstone of therapy for angina pectoris [1]. Long-acting oral forms of nitroglycerin and cutaneous nitroglycerin ointment have been used prophy-lactically to prevent anginal attacks for more than 25 years. As recently as 1966, Friedberg’s Textbook of Cardiology warned that nitroglycerin was con-traindicated in patients with acute myocardial infarction [2]. Using careful electrocardiographic and blood-pressure monitoring, cardiologists at The Johns Hopkins Hospital began studying the short-term hemodynamic and antiischemic effects of intravenous nitroglycerin in patients with acute myocardial infarction more than 15 years ago [3-6]. We have also completed a randomized placebo-controlled trial of 48-hour infusion of intravenous nitroglycerin in patients with acute infarction. The endpoints of this longer term study were “infarct size” and clinical outcome [7].

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Authors
  1. John T. Flaherty
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA

    Elliot Rapaport M.D.

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© 1989 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Flaherty, J.T. (1989). The Role of nitroglycerin in Acute Myocardial Infarction. In: Rapaport, E. (eds) Early Interventions in Acute Myocardial Infarction. Developments in Cardiovascular Medicine, vol 97. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1597-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-1597-1_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-8884-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-1597-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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