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Multiple Choice

In acute coronary syndrome, what is the preferred reperfusion therapy when feasible?

The main idea is that restoring blood flow quickly is crucial in acute coronary syndrome, and the preferred reperfusion method when feasible is opening the blockage with percutaneous coronary intervention (urgent coronary angiography with balloon angioplasty and stenting). This approach reopens the artery more reliably and rapidly than clot-busting drugs, leading to higher survival and lower risk of reinfarction, with a lower chance of serious bleeding such as intracranial hemorrhage. It also allows immediate assessment of the coronary anatomy and treatment of other lesions if needed. Thrombolytic therapy is a backup option when a catheter-based reperfusion center isn’t available quickly enough. Medical therapy alone doesn’t reperfuse the blocked artery, and coronary artery bypass grafting isn’t the first-line reperfusion in the acute setting, reserved for specific circumstances or after failed PCI.

The main idea is that restoring blood flow quickly is crucial in acute coronary syndrome, and the preferred reperfusion method when feasible is opening the blockage with percutaneous coronary intervention (urgent coronary angiography with balloon angioplasty and stenting). This approach reopens the artery more reliably and rapidly than clot-busting drugs, leading to higher survival and lower risk of reinfarction, with a lower chance of serious bleeding such as intracranial hemorrhage. It also allows immediate assessment of the coronary anatomy and treatment of other lesions if needed. Thrombolytic therapy is a backup option when a catheter-based reperfusion center isn’t available quickly enough. Medical therapy alone doesn’t reperfuse the blocked artery, and coronary artery bypass grafting isn’t the first-line reperfusion in the acute setting, reserved for specific circumstances or after failed PCI.