Why does it matter?

To demonstrate the key message that conventional publishing cannot be relied upon to rapidly disseminate important clinical research, we will look at the more recent example of the use of streptokinase to prevent death in patients with myocardial infarction. The first randomised trials were carried out on this topic in the 1960s; at that time it was not mentioned in textbooks at all.

Adapted from Antman EM et al. NEJM 1992; 327 (4): 248-254.