failed to restore patency using such an approach it has been possible to develop a computerized model for the early noninvasive detection of reperfusion status within the first three hours of starting thrombolytic therapy allowing early triage of such patients for acute cardiac catheterization and consideration for rescue angioplasty the method of the present invention involves the use of four variables in determining whether persistent occlusions are present in a patient after thrombolytic therapy blood samples are taken before and after thrombolytic therapy and assayed for creatine kinase mb levels clinical variables of chest pain after therapy and the time from onset of chest pain to the beginning of thrombolytic therapy and the two ck mb levels are used as inputs to a statistical model which results in the probability of the presence of a persistent occlusion samples of blood are taken from the patient having already been diagnosed as having a myocardial infarction these samples are taken prior to the beginning of thrombolytic therapy e g administration of tissue plasminogen activators streptokinase urokinase or apsac the baseline sample is preferably taken with 6 hours of the onset of symptons of the myocardial infarct i e chest pain and within 1 hour of the beginning of thrombolytic.