Although considerable improvement has occurred in the process of care for patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), room for improvement exists.[1–3][1][][2][][3] The purpose of the present guideline is to focus on the numerous advances in the diagnosis and management of patients

/pdf/acc-aha-guidelines-for-the-management-of-patients-with-st-3d4n2zt04k.pdf

ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients With ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction—Executive Summary A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 1999 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction)

ACE
: angiotensin-converting enzyme
ACS
: acute coronary syndrome
ADP
: adenosine diphosphate
AF
: atrial fibrillation
AMI
: acute myocardial infarction
AV
: atrioventricular
AIDA-4
: Abciximab Intracoronary vs. intravenously Drug Application
APACHE II
: Acute Physiology Aand Chronic

/pdf/esc-guidelines-for-the-management-of-acute-myocardial-vy5rt9aiqe.pdf

ESC Guidelines for the Management of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Patients Presenting With ST-Segment Elevation

ACC/AHA guidelines for the management of patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction--executive summary: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines (Writing Committee to Revise the 1999 Guidelines for the Management of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction).

ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation : The Task Force for the management of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC).

/pdf/2015-esc-guidelines-for-the-management-of-acute-coronary-6did6h5nxk.pdf

2015 ESC Guidelines for the management of acute coronary syndromes in patients presenting without persistent ST-segment elevation: Task Force for the Management of Acute Coronary Syndromes in Patients Presenting without Persistent ST-Segment Elevation of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC)

The primary efficacy end point occurred in 12.1% of patients receiving clopidogrel and 9.9% of patients receiving prasugrel (hazard ratio for prasugrel vs. clopidogrel, 0.81; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.73 to 0.90; P<0.001). We also found significant reductions in the prasugrel group in the rates of myocardial infarction (9.7% for clopidogrel vs. 7.4% for prasugrel; P<0.001), urgent target-vessel revascularization (3.7% vs. 2.5%; P<0.001), and stent thrombosis (2.4% vs. 1.1%; P<0.001). Major bleeding was observed in 2.4% of patients receiving prasugrel and in 1.8% of patients receiving clopidogrel (hazard ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.03 to 1.68; P = 0.03). Also greater in the prasugrel group was the rate of life-threatening bleeding (1.4% vs. 0.9%; P = 0.01), including nonfatal bleeding (1.1% vs. 0.9%; hazard ratio, 1.25; P = 0.23) and fatal bleeding (0.4% vs. 0.1%; P = 0.002). Conclusions In patients with acute coronary syndromes with scheduled percutaneous coronary intervention, prasugrel therapy was associated with significantly reduced rates of ischemic events, including stent thrombosis, but with an increased risk of major bleeding, including fatal bleeding. Overall mortality did not differ significantly between treatment groups. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00097591.)

/pdf/prasugrel-versus-clopidogrel-in-patients-with-acute-coronary-2gumubuq27.pdf

Prasugrel versus Clopidogrel in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes

ContextFollowing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), short-term clopidogrel
therapy in addition to aspirin leads to greater protection from thrombotic
complications than aspirin alone. However, the optimal duration of combination
oral antiplatelet therapy is unknown. Also, although current clinical data
suggest a benefit for beginning therapy with a clopidogrel loading dose prior
to PCI, the practical application of this therapy has not been prospectively
studied.ObjectivesTo evaluate the benefit of long-term (12-month) treatment with clopidogrel
after PCI and to determine the benefit of initiating clopidogrel with a preprocedure
loading dose, both in addition to aspirin therapy.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsThe Clopidogrel for the Reduction of Events During Observation (CREDO)
trial, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted among
2116 patients who were to undergo elective PCI or were deemed at high likelihood
of undergoing PCI, enrolled at 99 centers in North America from June 1999
through April 2001.InterventionsPatients were randomly assigned to receive a 300-mg clopidogrel loading
dose (n = 1053) or placebo (n = 1063) 3 to 24 hours before PCI. Thereafter,
all patients received clopidogrel, 75 mg/d, through day 28. From day 29 through
12 months, patients in the loading-dose group received clopidogrel, 75 mg/d,
and those in the control group received placebo. Both groups received aspirin
throughout the study.Main Outcome MeasuresOne-year incidence of the composite of death, myocardial infarction
(MI), or stroke in the intent-to-treat population; 28-day incidence of the
composite of death, MI, or urgent target vessel revascularization in the per-protocol
population.ResultsAt 1 year, long-term clopidogrel therapy was associated with a 26.9%
relative reduction in the combined risk of death, MI, or stroke (95% confidence
interval [CI], 3.9%-44.4%; P = .02; absolute reduction,
3%). Clopidogrel pretreatment did not significantly reduce the combined risk
of death, MI, or urgent target vessel revascularization at 28 days (reduction,
18.5%; 95% CI, −14.2% to 41.8%; P = .23). However,
in a prespecified subgroup analysis, patients who received clopidogrel at
least 6 hours before PCI experienced a relative risk reduction of 38.6% (95%
CI, −1.6% to 62.9%; P = .051) for this end
point compared with no reduction with treatment less than 6 hours before PCI.
Risk of major bleeding at 1 year increased, but not significantly (8.8% with
clopidogrel vs 6.7% with placebo; P = .07).ConclusionsFollowing PCI, long-term (1-year) clopidogrel therapy significantly
reduced the risk of adverse ischemic events. A loading dose of clopidogrel
given at least 3 hours before the procedure did not reduce events at 28 days,
but subgroup analyses suggest that longer intervals between the loading dose
and PCI may reduce events.

/pdf/early-and-sustained-dual-oral-antiplatelet-therapy-following-3vzx40ujsp.pdf

Early and sustained dual oral antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

CONTEXT
Following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), short-term clopidogrel therapy in addition to aspirin leads to greater protection from thrombotic complications than aspirin alone. However, the optimal duration of combination oral antiplatelet therapy is unknown. Also, although current clinical data suggest a benefit for beginning therapy with a clopidogrel loading dose prior to PCI, the practical application of this therapy has not been prospectively studied.


OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the benefit of long-term (12-month) treatment with clopidogrel after PCI and to determine the benefit of initiating clopidogrel with a preprocedure loading dose, both in addition to aspirin therapy.


DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
The Clopidogrel for the Reduction of Events During Observation (CREDO) trial, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted among 2116 patients who were to undergo elective PCI or were deemed at high likelihood of undergoing PCI, enrolled at 99 centers in North America from June 1999 through April 2001.


INTERVENTIONS
Patients were randomly assigned to receive a 300-mg clopidogrel loading dose (n = 1053) or placebo (n = 1063) 3 to 24 hours before PCI. Thereafter, all patients received clopidogrel, 75 mg/d, through day 28. From day 29 through 12 months, patients in the loading-dose group received clopidogrel, 75 mg/d, and those in the control group received placebo. Both groups received aspirin throughout the study.


MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
One-year incidence of the composite of death, myocardial infarction (MI), or stroke in the intent-to-treat population; 28-day incidence of the composite of death, MI, or urgent target vessel revascularization in the per-protocol population.


RESULTS
At 1 year, long-term clopidogrel therapy was associated with a 26.9% relative reduction in the combined risk of death, MI, or stroke (95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9%-44.4%; P =.02; absolute reduction, 3%). Clopidogrel pretreatment did not significantly reduce the combined risk of death, MI, or urgent target vessel revascularization at 28 days (reduction, 18.5%; 95% CI, -14.2% to 41.8%; P =.23). However, in a prespecified subgroup analysis, patients who received clopidogrel at least 6 hours before PCI experienced a relative risk reduction of 38.6% (95% CI, -1.6% to 62.9%; P =.051) for this end point compared with no reduction with treatment less than 6 hours before PCI. Risk of major bleeding at 1 year increased, but not significantly (8.8% with clopidogrel vs 6.7% with placebo; P =.07).


CONCLUSIONS
Following PCI, long-term (1-year) clopidogrel therapy significantly reduced the risk of adverse ischemic events. A loading dose of clopidogrel given at least 3 hours before the procedure did not reduce events at 28 days, but subgroup analyses suggest that longer intervals between the loading dose and PCI may reduce events.

Augustin DeLago

Papers

Early and sustained dual oral antiplatelet therapy following percutaneous coronary intervention: a randomized controlled trial.

Early and Sustained Dual Oral Antiplatelet Therapy Following Percutaneous Coronary Intervention