title: The Rise and Fall of Anticoagulation with Bivalirudin During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: A Review Article.
abstract: Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor used during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Treatment with bivalirudin compared to heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) reduced bleeding complications, but resulted in higher rates of ischemic events, including acute stent thrombosis in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Thus, it may be considered a reasonable alternative antithrombotic agent in patients at high risk of bleeding undergoing PCI. However its superiority over heparin alone is questioned particularly in the era of novel antiplatelet agents and transradial PCI.
authors.affiliation: Cardiology Department, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Constantinos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andreou
authors.affiliation: 2nd Cardiology Department, Hellenic Red Cross General Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Maniotis
authors.affiliation: 2nd Cardiology Department, Hellenic Red Cross General Hospital, Athens, Greece. koutouzismike@yahoo.gr.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koutouzis
keywords: ACS; Bivalirudin; PCI