INTRODUCTION: Combination of angioplasty PTCA and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (IGpIIb/IIIa) already had conflicting results in treatment of patients (pts) with ST-elevation segment myocardial infarction (STEMI). OBJECTIVE: Determine if IIb/ IIIa as an adjunctive therapy to the primary PTCA is associated with a better ST segment (STSR) resolution in the electrocardiogram (EKG). METHODS: Of 85 patients submitted to a primary PTCA between 2000-2002, 35 used IIb/IIIa as an adjunct therapy and 50 did not use the drug (control group). Baseline characteristics were compared, and clinical, electrocardiographic and angiographic variables were similar between the groups. Outcomes analyzed were STSRs of early (first 6 hours after PTCA) and late EKGs (12 to 40 hours), in-hospital major adverse clinical cardiovascular events (MACE) and serum enzimatic peak. Significance was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: The IIb/IIIa group showed a trend to a better STSR in early EKGs (73% vs 62%, p = 0.08), not observed when compared late EKGs (72% vs 73%, p = ns). A significant difference was found when the STSR between early vs. late EKGs in the control group (62% vs 73%, p = 0.006), but not in in the IIb/ IIIa group. Diabetes, inferior AMI, onset of symptoms in less then 6 hours and IIb/IIIa were predictors to a complete STSR (p = 0.04; OR = 3.1; IC 95% = 1 to 10). No differences were observed in the presence of in-hospital MACE or enzymatic peak. CONCLUSION: IIb/IIIa as an adjunctive therapy to the primary PTCA in the treatment of STEMI is associated with a better STSR in early EKG, which may indicate that the drug accelerates myocardial reperfusion in these patients.
Platelet glycoprotein GPIIb-IIIa complex; Angioplasty, transluminal, percutaneous coronary; Myocardial infarction
