BACKGROUND: Bleeding is one of the most frequent complications of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The objective of this study was to evaluate the incidence and predictors of major bleeding and the impact of this complication on adverse events after PCI. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of 8,739 consecutive patients who were submitted to elective PCI from June/1997 to February/ 2008 was carried out. We compared patients with or without major bleeding in relation to pre-procedure clinic and angiographic characteristics and in-hospital and late outcomes. RESULTS: Major bleeding was identified in 1.6% of the patients. A multiple logistic regression model identified as independent predictors of major bleeding: female sex, age, previous coronary bypass surgery and use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors. Major bleeding was an independent predictor of in-hospital acute renal failure, myocardial infarction and death and of myocardial infarction in the late follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrates that procedure-related major bleeding is an independent predictor of acute and late adverse events post-PCI.
Hemorrhage; Angioplasty, transluminal, per-cutaneous coronary; Mortality
