title: Prevention of acute complications after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.
abstract: The prevention of major complications occurring during or early after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty was evaluated in 376 patients in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial. Starting 24 hours before angioplasty, 187 patients received an aspirin-dipyridamole combination and 189 were given placebo. There were no periprocedural deaths. Periprocedural non-fatal myocardial infarction was diagnosed in 34 patients (9.0%). Q wave myocardial infarction occurred in 16 patients: 3 (1.6%) in the aspirin-dipyridamole group and 13 (6.9%) in the placebo group (p = 0.0113). Non-Q wave myocardial infarction occurred in 18 patients: 6 (3.2%) in the active drug group and 12 (6.3%) in the placebo group (p = 0.1538). Emergency myocardial revascularization was performed in 9 patients in each treatment arm. Q wave myocardial infarction occurred following revascularization in 5 patients (55.5%) in the placebo group and in only 2 (22.2%, p = 0.1670) in the aspirin-dipyridamole group. Thus the incidence of periprocedural Q and non-Q wave myocardial infarction is high in patients not on antiplatelet therapy (13.2%) and is markedly lower in those on the aspirin-dipyridamole combination (4.8%, p = 0.0044). Short-term antiplatelet therapy before and after angioplasty can be recommended for patients who do not have contraindications to this medication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine and Radiology, Montreal Heart Institute, Canada.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Bourassa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lespérance
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Eastwood
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kazim
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001241:Aspirin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003402:Creatine Kinase / Q000097:blood; D004176:Dipyridamole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004562:Electrocardiography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D004176:Dipyridamole; D003402:Creatine Kinase; D001241:Aspirin