Bivalirudin use in acute coronary syndrome patients undergoing percutaneous coronary interventions in Poland: Clinical update from expert group of the Association on Cardiovascular Interventions of the Polish Cardiac Society

Bivalirudin vs. heparin on a background of ticagrelor and aspirin in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention: A multicenter prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Current guidelines recommend potent P2Y12 inhibitors such as ticagrelor over clopidogrel as part of the dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) after ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), irrespective of final management strategy. The aim of this multicenter prospective cohort study was to examine the efficacy and safety of bivalirudin with background ticagrelor and aspirin therapy in patients with STEMI undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI).

METHODS

A total of 800 patients with STEMI who were undergoing PPCI and receiving treatment with aspirin and ticagrelor from three Hospitals between April 2019 and September 2021 were included in this study. The patients were assigned, according to the perioperative anticoagulant, to the bivalirudin group (n = 456) or the heparin group (n = 344). In this study, the primary endpoint was 30-day net adverse clinical events (NACEs), a composite of major adverse cardiac or cerebral events (MACCEs, a composite of cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction, ischemia-driven target vessel revascularization, or stroke), or any bleeding as defined by the Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) definition (grades 1-5).

RESULTS

The patients were followed up for 30 days after PPCI. The incidence of NACE was significantly lower in the bivalirudin group than in the heparin group (11.2 vs. 16.0%, P = 0.042), and this significance was mainly a consequence of the reduction in BARC 1 bleeding events in the bivalirudin group compared to the heparin group (3.2 vs. 7.1%, P = 0.010). Results from multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that bivalirudin significantly reduced 30-day NACE (HR: 0.676, 95% CI: 0.462-0.990, P = 0.042) and BARC1 bleeding events (HR: 0.429, 95% CI: 0.222-0.830, P = 0.010). No significant between-group differences were observed for MACCE, all-cause mortality, cardiac death, recurrent myocardial infarction, stroke, target vessel revascularization, stent thrombosis, and BARC2-5 bleeding events at 30 days.

CONCLUSION

In patients with STEMI who were undergoing primary PCI and receiving treatment with aspirin and ticagrelor, bivalirudin was associated with decreased rates in NACE and minimal bleeding events without significant differences in the rates of MACCE or stent thrombosis when compared with heparin. Nevertheless, large randomized trials are warranted to confirm these observations.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

The trial was registered at the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (ChiCTR, http://www.chictr.org.cn; identifier [ChiCTR1900022529]). Registered on 15 April 2019. Registration title: Effect of bivalirudin combined with ticagrelor in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction during primary percutaneous coronary intervention.

Occurrence and Risk Factors of Adverse Drug Reactions in Patients Receiving Bivalirudin as Anticoagulant During Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: A Prospective, Multi-Center, Intensive Monitoring Study

Background

Bivalirudin is a common anticoagulant during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI); however, since its application in China, it still lacks comprehensive evaluation of adverse events (AEs) or adverse drug reactions (ADRs) under the real-clinical setting conditions with a large-sample-size population. Therefore, this prospective, multi-center, intensive monitoring study aimed to comprehensively investigate the occurrence and risk factors of AEs and ADRs during PCI with bivalirudin as an anticoagulant.

Methods

A total of 3,049 patients who underwent PCI with bivalirudin as anticoagulant from 27 Chinese medical centers were enrolled. Safety data (AEs/ADRs) were collected from hospital admission to 72 h after bivalirudin administration; then, patients were followed up at the 30th day with the safety data collected as well.

Results

A total of 414 (13.58%) patients occurred AEs, among which 31 (1.02%) cases suffered from severe AEs and 8 (0.26%) cases died due to AEs. Importantly, 118 (3.87%) patients occurred bivalirudin related ADRs, among which 7 (0.23%) cases suffered from severe ADRs while no case (0%) died due to ADRs. Of note, 7 (0.23%) patients showed new ADRs, 34 (1.12%) patients experienced bleeding, and 79 (2.59%) patients had thrombocytopenia. Furthermore, age, renal function impairment, CRUSADE high risk stratification independently correlated with total ADRs risk; CRUSADE high risk stratification, emergency operation, full dose bivalirudin independently associated with bleeding risk; age, renal function impairment independently related to thrombocytopenia risk.

Conclusion

Bivalirudin is well-tolerated as an anticoagulant for PCI procedure; meanwhile, older age, renal function impairment, and CRUSADE high risk stratification serve as independent risk factors of bivalirudin related ADRs.

Safe Thrombolysis During Pregnancy for Recurrent Acute Ischaemic Stroke Due to Concomitant Isolated Left Ventricular Non-Compaction and Bilateral Foetal Posterior Communicating Arteries

Isolated left ventricular non-compaction (ILVNC) is a rare congenital cardiomyopathy and is associated with arrhythmias, heart failure and thromboembolism including ischaemic stroke. Pregnancy is a relative contraindication to thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke, although case reports suggest the treatment can be given in selected cases. We report a case of recurrent cryptogenic strokes in a 36-year-old female who was thrombolysed with good outcome at 37 weeks’ gestation and was eventually found to have ILVNC as the cause. She had a predilection to recurrent posterior circulatory strokes due to foetal posterior communicating arteries. To our knowledge this is the first case report of safe thrombolysis for acute ischaemic stroke in pregnancy caused by ILVNC.