Mortality Benefit of GPIIb/IIIa Inhibitors During Primary PCI

Randomized trials have shown that acute-MI patients benefit from use of a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor during primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). However, these trials have been small and underpowered to prove a survival benefit, and most have excluded high-risk patients. Now, researchers have analyzed data from all 7321 patients who underwent primary PCI within 12 hours of MI symptom onset in New York State from 2000 through 2002; 78.5% received GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors.

GPIIb/IIIa-inhibitor use was associated with younger age, male sex, greater body-mass index, earlier presentation, and less comorbidity. Recipients of GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors had a significantly lower in-hospital mortality rate than nonrecipients (3.0% vs. 6.2%)…