Efficacy of sonothrombolysis as an adjunct to primary percutaneous coronary intervention in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

In this review, we aimed to evaluate Sonothrombolysis when combined with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) in STEMI patients with regard to improving cardiac function and clinical outcomes. This study primarily assesses short-term efficacy outcomes, while long-term impacts, such as mortality, were not evaluated. Following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, we searched four electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science) to identify eligible studies reported up to November 2024. Four studies, with a total population of 252 participants, were included. The sonothrombolysis group demonstrated an overall greater improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction compared to the control group (MD = 3.07, 95% CI [1.20 to 4.94], p = 0.001), with no heterogeneity (p = 0.44, I² = 0%). When subgrouped according to the follow-up period, there was no significant difference between the two groups (MD = 2.56, 95% CI [-0.35 to 5.46]) after 2 to 6 months. Infarction size, microvascular obstruction, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, and left ventricular end-systolic volume showed no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Sonothrombolysis following pPCI is associated with better left ventricular ejection fraction, emphasizing the potential role of sonothrombolysis as an adjunctive therapy to pPCI in the management of STEMI.