Search

Aims To compare prolonged bivalirudin infusion vs. an intra-procedural only bivalirudin infusion administration in subjects with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) regarding residual stent strut thrombosis. Methods and results Multivessel STEMI patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI) and scheduled for a staged percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) before hospital discharge were selected among those allocated to either prolonged bivalirudin or intra-procedural only bivalirudin infusion in the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by TRansradial Access Site and angioX) Treatment-Duration study. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the infarct-related artery was performed at the end of PPCI and 4–5 days thereafter during staged intervention. The predefined endpoint was the percentage difference in the number of stent cross-sections with a thrombotic area >5% at the end of PPCI and at the time of staged PCI (ΔThCS). Between September 2013 and November 2015, 137 were randomized to either intra-procedural only bivalirudin infusion (N  = 64) or prolonged bivalirudin (N  = 73) at 16 European sites. Mean stent area, minimum lumen area, percentage of malapposed struts, and mean percent thrombotic area were comparable after index or staged PCI. The difference in the proportion of frames with percent thrombotic area >5% (ΔTh > 5%) were −7.7 (−22.1 to 5.1) in the intra-procedural bivalirudin infusion group and −8.8 (−23.1 to 2.6) in the prolonged infusion group (P  = 0.994). Time from index to follow-up OCT imaging and the infarct vessel artery did not affect this OCT-based endpoint. Conclusion A strategy of prolonged bivalirudin infusion after PPCI did not reduce residual stent strut thrombosis when compared with intra-procedural only bivalirudin infusion administration (funded by The Medicines Company and Terumo; MATRIX ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01433627). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the association of the degree of stent expansion, as assessed by optical coherence tomography (OCT), following stent implantation, and clinical outcomes in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients., Methods: STEMI patients from the MATRIX (Minimizing Adverse Haemorrhagic Events by TRansradial Access Site and angioX) OCT study were selected; Clinical outcomes were collected through 1 year. Stent expansion index is a minimum stent area (MSA) divided by average lumen area (average of proximal and distal reference lumen area). The following variables were measured: MSA (< 4.5mm 2 ), dissection (> 200 µm in width and < 5 mm from stent segment), malapposition (> 200 µm distance of stent from vessel wall), a thrombus (area > 5% of lumen area) were compared., Results: A total of 151 patients were included; after excluding patients with suboptimal OCT quality, the population with available OCT was classified into 2 groups: under-expanded < 90% (N = 72, 51%) and well-expanded ≥ 90% (N = 67, 49%). In the well-expanded group, a significant number of the proximal vessels had a lumen area < 4.5mm 2 (16.1%, p < 0.001) and a greater thrombus burden within stent (56.7%, p = 0.042). The overall 30 day and 1 year major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) rates were 5% and 6.1%, respectively., Conclusion: Irrespective of the degree of stent expansion, the OCT findings, in STEMI patients, and the MACE at 30 days and one year follow up was low; further, well-expanded stents led to a more significant residual thrombotic burden within the stent but seemed to have insignificant clinical impact. Acknowledged stent optimization criteria, traditionally related to worse outcomes in stable patients, do not seem to be associated with worse outcomes in this STEMI population.