OBJECTIVE To describe the use of myocardial reperfusion strategies (percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty-PTCA and intravenous trombolysis) whenever it is possible to use emergency cinecoronariography in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). METHODS The records of patients admitted with initial diagnosis of AMI, until six hours after the beginning of symptoms, were reviewed retrospectively, between March/92 and December/93. RESULTS One hundred forty-three patients were admitted with suspected AMI. Eighty-one (57%) presented definitive criteria for this diagnosis. Fifty-two patients (64%) were admitted in the first six hours from the beginning of symptoms. Thirty-eight (73%) were male and the mean age was 59 +/- 12 years. Cinecoronariography was indicated immediately in 36 of 52 (69%) patients, with purpose to use PTCA. That was done in 30 (58%). Two (4%) patients were submitted to emergency surgical myocardial revascularization. Intravenous thrombolysis was used in 11 (21%) patients. At admission, the conservative treatment was chosen for five out of nine left patients, based on clinical grounds. CONCLUSIONS The availability of emergency cinecoronariography made an early reperfusion strategy possible in 83% of patients admitted with AMI in the first six hours after the beginning of symptoms.