title: Safety and efficacy of a prolonged bivalirudin infusion after urgent and complex percutaneous coronary interventions: a descriptive study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, provides similar ischemic outcomes with significantly less major bleeding compared with unfractionated heparin (UFH) plus a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor (GPI) in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Although the approved labeling for bivalirudin allows for low-dose prolonged postprocedure administration, this practice is not routine. Therefore, we sought to evaluate the safety and efficacy of longer post-PCI infusion.
  
  
  METHODS
  From our database, we retrospectively compared two groups of patients with acute coronary syndrome undergoing complex PCI, one group treated with UFH+GPI (n = 59) and another with a periprocedural and post-PCI bivalirudin infusion for 4 h (n = 50). Endpoints included periprocedural myocardial infarction (MI), 30-day major adverse cardiac events, and in-hospital major and minor bleeding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in the baseline and procedural characteristics of the two groups; most patients (approximately 90%) had complex coronary lesions (the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association type B2/C). There was no significant difference in the rates of periprocedural MI (11.9 vs. 8.0%, P = NS) or 30-day major adverse cardiac events (8.5 vs. 6.0%, P = NS) among patients treated with UFH+GPI or bivalirudin. However, patients who received bivalirudin had significantly lower rates of minor bleeding (20.3 vs. 4.0%, P<0.05), and a trend toward significantly less major bleeding (8.5 vs. 4.0%, P = 0.07). When we compared the group treated with a prolonged bivalirudin infusion with a historical group treated with peri-PCI-only bivalirudin infusion, we observed in the latter an increased incidence of periprocedural MI and a comparable incidence of bleeding.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A prolonged bivalirudin infusion after urgent PCI seems effective in protecting myocardium without increasing bleeding rates, and represents an attractive alternative to the standard pharmacological treatment of UFH+GPI in the catheterization laboratory.
authors: Interventional Cardiology Unit, Ospedale della Misericordia, Grosseto, Italy. bcortese@gmail.com
authors: Bernardo
authors: B
authors: Cortese
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Micheli
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Picchi
authors: Loria
authors: L
authors: Bandinelli
authors: Maria Gina
authors: MG
authors: Brizi
authors: Silva
authors: S
authors: Severi
authors: Ugo
authors: U
authors: Limbruno
mesh_terms: D054058:Acute Coronary Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D000368:Aged; D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000009:adverse effects; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D006493:Heparin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006629:Hirudins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D006629:Hirudins; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D010975:Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors; D019039:Platelet Glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa Complex; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D006493:Heparin; C074619:bivalirudin