Aspirin as emergency therapy:
Aspirin is an effective therapy in patients with acute myocardial infarction.
Patients with suspected acute myocardial infarction should receive 150mg aspirin daily.
There are very few contraindications for the immediate use of aspirin.
Intravenous thrombolytic therapy:
Intravenous thrombolytic therapy is also effective in suitable patients.
The benefit of thrombolysis reduces as the time from onset of symptoms increases.
In patients with acute myocardial infarction, combining thrombolysis and aspirin is more effective than using either therapy alone.
Local guidelines on ensuring rapid access to treatment should be developed and implemented.
Long-term use of aspirin:
Aspirin protects patients with a history of cardiovascular disease from fatal and non fatal myocardial infarction and stroke.