Acute profound thrombocytopenia associated with eptifibatide therapy.
An 80-year-old woman and a 79-year-old man underwent urgent percutaneous coronary intervention and received adjunctive eptifibatide. Platelet counts in both patients fell to below 20 x 10(3)/mm3 within 4 hours of eptifibatide administration. Reports in the medical literature reinforce the importance of recognizing that eptifibatide can cause acute profound thrombocytopenia. All three available glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors--abciximab, eptifibatide, and tirofiban--have been associated with the development of this disorder. Thus, clinicians should routinely monitor platelet counts in patients receiving glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors within 2-4 hours of the start of the infusion.
Nagge
Jeff
J
Interventional Cardiology and Thrombosis Treatment Program, University Health Network-Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. jeff.nagge@utoronto.ca
Jackevicius
Cynthia
C
Dzavik
Vladimir
V
Ross
John R
JR
Seidelin
Peter
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000077542:Eptifibatide; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010455:Peptides / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017713:Platelet Transfusion; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000628:therapy
D010455:Peptides; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D000077542:Eptifibatide