Final answer:
Thrombolytic agents are drugs used to dissolve existing blood clots, such as those causing a thrombotic stroke, improving patient outcomes when administered quickly, particularly within 3 hours of symptom onset.
Step-by-step explanation:
Drugs that are used to dissolve existing thrombi are called thrombolytic agents. These medications are crucial in the treatment of thrombotic strokes, which are caused by clots obstructing blood flow to the brain. Thrombolytic agents work by converting plasminogen into plasmin, the main enzyme responsible for breaking down clots. It's important to administer these drugs promptly, ideally within 3 hours of a stroke, to improve the patient's prognosis significantly. Notably, tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a commonly used enzyme in these situations and is derived both naturally from endothelial cells and synthetically for clinical use. Recent research is exploring the potential of compounds from snake venoms as thrombolytic agents. In the case of myocardial infarction (MI), immediate treatment with thrombolytic agents like streptokinase, along with other interventions such as aspirin and nitroglycerine, helps dissolve clots to restore blood flow and prevent further damage to the heart.
Thrombolytic agents work by speeding up the degradation of an abnormal clot, breaking it down and restoring normal blood flow. One example of a thrombolytic agent is tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), an enzyme that converts plasminogen to plasmin, the primary enzyme responsible for breaking down clots.