Background: Administration of enoxaparin to patients with acute coronary syndromes can result in better outcomes in comparison to patients treated with unfractionated heparin. Use of enoxaparin during percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI) can also improve the outcome. Administration of ticlopidine and aspirin for a few days before PCI decreases frequency of ischaemic complications. There is lack of data about safety and efficacy of combined administration of enoxaparin, ticlo-pidine and aspirin during PCI.
Methods: 61 patients with coronary artery disease were involved in the study. All patients were pretreated with aspirin (75-325 mg/d) and ticlopidine (2 x 250 mg) for at least 3 days before PCI. PCI procedures were conducted after i.v. administration of 1 mg/kg of enoxaparin. After PCI bleeding and ischaemic complications were monitored.
Results: In the treated group, no major bleeding occurred, while minor bleeding was noted in 6.5% of patients. No periprocedural major adverse cardiac events (death, Q wave infarction, urgent revascularisation) were observed. Microembolisation was present in 4.9% patients (expressed as CK-MB > 3 times the reference level).
Conclusions: Intravenous administration of enoxaparin 1 mg/kg during PCI in patients pretreated with aspirin and ticlopidine for at least 3 days before intervention appears to be safe. Safety and high efficacy of enoxapirine in this pilot trial justify initiating the randomized, multicenter trial comparing use of low molecular weight heparin to unfractionated heparin during PCI.