Elderly patients should not be denied fibrinolytic therapy
Cheuk-Kit Wong and Harvey D White*
Correspondence *Green Lane Cardiovascular Service, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
Email harveyw@adhb.govt.nz
The number of elderly patients with cardiac conditions in the US is increasing, but these individuals receive fewer evidence-based therapies than their younger counterparts. Fibrinolytic therapy, in particular, is underused in the elderly and is commonly withheld on the basis of advanced age alone. In this Viewpoint, Cheuk-Kit Wong and Harvey D White seek to redress this situation by reviewing the evidence for fibrinolytic therapy in elderly patients and advocating that this treatment should not be denied unless there are clear contraindications.
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