title: Bivalirudin in patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention: a subgroup analysis from the Acute Catheterization and Urgent Intervention Triage strategy (ACUITY) trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess anticoagulation with the direct thrombin inhibitor bivalirudin during percutaneous coronary intervention in individuals with moderate and high-risk acute coronary syndromes.
  
  
  METHODS
  13,819 individuals in the Acute Catheterization and Urgent Intervention Triage strategy (ACUITY) trial were prospectively randomly assigned to receive heparin (unfractionated or enoxaparin) plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, bivalirudin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, or bivalirudin alone. Of these individuals, 7789 underwent percutaneous coronary intervention after angiography. The effect of the three regimens on the primary 30-day endpoints of composite ischaemia (death, myocardial infarction, or unplanned revascularisation for ischaemia), major bleeding, and net clinical outcomes (composite ischaemia or major bleeding) was assessed in this subgroup. Analyses were done by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, with the number NCT00093158.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the individuals who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention, 2561 received heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, 2609 received bivalirudin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, and 2619 received bivalirudin alone. 26 (0.3%) individuals dropped out or were lost to follow-up. There was no significant difference in the proportion of individuals with composite ischaemia, major bleeding, or net clinical outcomes at 30 days between those who received bivalirudin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors and those who received heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (composite ischaemia: 243 [9%] patients vs 210 [8%] patients, p=0.16; major bleeding: 196 [8%] patients vs 174 [7%] patients, p=0.32; net clinical outcomes: 389 [15%] patients vs 341 [13%] patients, p=0.1). Rates of composite ischaemia were much the same in those who received bivalirudin alone and those who received heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (230 [9%] patients vs 210 [8%] patients, p=0.45); however, there were significantly fewer individuals who experienced major bleeding among those who received bivalirudin alone than among those who received heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (92 [4%] patients vs 174 [7%] patients, p<0.0001, relative risk 0.52, 95% CI 0.40-0.66), resulting in a trend towards better 30-day net clinical outcomes (303 [12%] patients vs 341 [13%] patients, p=0.057; 0.87, 0.75-1.00).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Substitution of unfractionated heparin or enoxaparin with bivalirudin results in comparable clinical outcomes in patients with moderate and high-risk acute coronary syndromes treated with glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in whom percutaneous coronary intervention is done. Anticoagulation with bivalirudin alone suppresses adverse ischaemic events to a similar extent as does heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors, while significantly lowering the risk of major haemorrhagic complications.
authors: Columbia University Medical Center and the Cardiovascular Research Foundation, New York, NY 10022, USA. gs2184@columbia.edu
authors: Gregg W
authors: GW
authors: Stone
authors: Harvey D
authors: HD
authors: White
authors: E Magnus
authors: EM
authors: Ohman
authors: Michel E
authors: ME
authors: Bertrand
authors: A Michael
authors: AM
authors: Lincoff
authors: Brent T
authors: BT
authors: McLaurin
authors: David A
authors: DA
authors: Cox
authors: Stuart J
authors: SJ
authors: Pocock
authors: James H
authors: JH
authors: Ware
authors: Frederick
authors: F
authors: Feit
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Colombo
authors: Steven V
authors: SV
authors: Manoukian
authors: Alexandra J
authors: AJ
authors: Lansky
authors: Roxana
authors: R
authors: Mehran
authors: Jeffrey W
authors: JW
authors: Moses
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy / Q000379:methods; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D017984:Enoxaparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006493:Heparin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006629:Hirudins; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D017984:Enoxaparin; D006629:Hirudins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006493:Heparin; C074619:bivalirudin