Abstract
BACKGROUND: Glycoprotein IIb IIIa inhibitors improved short- and long-term outcome when added to primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) in patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). We hypothesized that intracoronary eptifibatide infusion via a perfusion catheter improves angiographic and clinical outcome of patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI, versus conventional intracoronary bolus injection. METHODS: Prospectively, we enrolled 80 patients with acute STEMI and thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) thrombus grade ≥ 2. Patients were assigned to receive eptifibatide (180 μg) either via a dedicated coronary perfusion catheter (ClearWay(TM)) during PPCI (group I), or guiding catheter (group II). Assessment of TIMI thrombus grade, TIMI flow grade, and TIMI myocardial perfusion (TMP) grade was performed both at baseline and post- procedurally. The primary 'angiographic' endpoint was final TMP grade 0/1. The primary 'clinical' endpoint was a composite of cardiac death, non-fatal re-infarction, target vessel revascularization, and recurrent ischemia at 30-day follow-up. RESULTS: Mean age was 52.3 ± 8.9 years (17.5% females). Clearance of visible thrombus (TIMI thrombus grade 0) at final angiogram was more frequent in group I. Additionally, both final TIMI flow grade 3 and final TMP grade 3 occurred more frequently in group I. The primary angiographic endpoint was more frequent in group II versus group I (17.5% versus 0%, respectively, p = 0.001). The primary clinical endpoint was more frequent in group II (20% versus 0%, respectively, p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with STEMI, intracoronary eptifibatide infusion via a perfusion catheter during PPCI improved immediate angiographic outcome, and reduced clinical events at 30-day follow-up, versus bolus injection via the guiding catheter.