title: Successful use of eptifibatide as an adjunct to coronary stenting in a patient with abciximab-associated acute profound thrombocytopenia.
abstract: A 72-year-old male who was given abciximab for unstable angina developed acute profound thrombocytopenia with a platelet count nadir of 6,000/mm3. He was treated with steroids and platelet transfusion. Four days later, he underwent coronary angioplasty after pretreatment with eptifibatide without development of thrombocytopenia. This suggests that the development of thrombocytopenia with abciximab is not necessarily a contraindication to subsequent use of glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists. Eptifibatide may be an appropriate consideration in high-risk patients who would benefit from a GP IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist, in spite of acute profound thrombocytopenia due to abciximab therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hahnemann University/Easton Hospital, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mascarenhas
mesh_terms: D000077284:Abciximab; D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D000077542:Eptifibatide; D006801:Humans; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D010455:Peptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015607:Stents; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000925:Anticoagulants; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D010455:Peptides; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077542:Eptifibatide; D000077284:Abciximab