Switch from abciximab to eptifibatide during percutaneous coronary intervention

BackgroundTreatment with glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitors during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) reduce ischemic complications and improve outcome. Of the GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors abciximab is better documented than eptifibatide, but the former is more expensive. The aim of this study was to monitor a switch from abciximab to eptifibatide with respect to clinical outcome up to six months after PCI.MethodsAll consecutive patients that six months before and six months after a switch from abciximab to eptifibatide received GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors during and after de novo PCIs were followed for six months with respect to clinical outcome.Results310 patients received abciximab and 350 eptifibatide. Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups. 55% of the patients underwent PCI for acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction and 41% for unstable coronary artery disease. There were trends for lower mortality among abciximab-treated than among the eptifibatide-treated patients during in-hospital stay (0.6% vs 2.0%:NS) as well as during the six month follow up (2.3% vs 3.7%:NS). The combined endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, stroke, repeated revascularisation and serious bleeding occurred in 14.9% in the abciximab group vs 16.8% in the eptifibatide group (NS).ConclusionThe study could not demonstrate any significant deterioration of clinical results after a switch from abciximab to eptifibatide as routine GPIIb/IIIa inhibition during PCI. With respect to the limited number of patients a clinical significant difference between the two GPIIb/IIIa inhibitors cannot, however, be excluded.