In a multicentre study 711 patients were randomised to a group receiving
calcium-heparin, 12,500 U, subcutaneously (360), or to a group receiving no
heparin (351), beginning within 24 h of the onset of symptoms. 433 of these patients, admitted within 6 h, were given intravenous
streptokinase (SK). Results were analysed for the in-hospital period.
Calcium-heparin had no significant effects on the frequency of electrocardiographically documented ischaemic episodes or non-fatal reinfarction in the whole series; in the subgroup receiving SK, transient ischaemic episodes recurred in 14.2% of those treated with
heparin vs 19.6% of the controls (p = 0.08). Mortality was significantly lower in the
calcium-heparin treated patients, both in the overall groups (21/360 vs 35/351, p = 0.03) and in the SK subgroups (10/218 vs 19/215, p = 0.05). In 200 patients with first anterior
myocardial infarction, it was possible to assess the effect of
heparin on left ventricular mural
thrombosis. On predischarge two-dimensional echocardiography, the prevalence of
thrombus was significantly lower in the
heparin group than in the control group (19/107 vs 34/93).
Heparin also greatly reduced the incidence of
thrombus formation in those who were
thrombus-free on admission. Complications of
heparin treatment were few.