Purpose: In patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC) undergoing coronary stenting (PCI-S), procedural management and in-hospital outcome have never been specifically and prospectively investigated. Also, the contribution of early bleeding to the relevant hemorrhagic rate reported at follow-up with triple therapy of OAC, aspirin, and clopidogrel is largely unknown.
Methods: Consecutive patients with indication for OAC undergoing PCI-S at 5 centers were enrolled and prospectively evaluated.
Results: Out of 3410 patients undergoing PCI-S in the study period, indication for OAC was present in 4.8%. Femoral approach and bare metal stents were the most frequently used. During PCI-S, OAC was continued in about 30% of patients, whereas in about 20% heparin bridging was carried out. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were rarely used (11%), whereas a standard bolus of unfractionated heparin was given in 93% of cases. Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) occurred in 4.8% of patients and major bleeding in 4.3%. No predictors of MACE or bleeding were identified, although the femoral approach was of borderline significance for major bleeding (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.0-20.8; P = 0.05). A history of previous hemorrhage (OR 5.3, 95% CI 1.6-18.1; P = 0.007) predicted Carbofilm-coated stent implantation.
Conclusions: A limited, albeit clinically relevant, proportion of patients undergoing PCI-S has indication for OAC. Procedural management appears not substantially different from that of common patients. In-hospital major bleeding is relevant and should be taken into account when evaluating the overall hemorrhagic rate at a medium- to long-term follow-up.