JAUNDICE INDUCED BY STREPTOKINASE

Streptokinase is the mainstream therapy for acute myocardial infarctio n. A fifty-seven-year-old man with acute MI was admitted to the intens ive cardiac care unit and received streptokinase and heparin. At the t ime of admission, he was not receiving any drugs and denied any previo us exposure to a hepatotoxic agent. Five hours later, he developed a d ramatic hypersensitivity reaction including high fever, pulmonary edem a, cyanosis, and convulsions. Within twelve hours, his clinical state was stabilized. After forty-eight hours, he developed jaundice and tra nsaminasemia, which subsided by the eighth day. Only a few reports of overt jaundice are associated with streptokinase.