Debate of adjunctive pharmacology for percutaneous coronary intervention: thrombin inhibitors and clopidogrel are...

The role of adjunctive pharmacology for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has been extensively studied, but controversy remains regarding the optimal regimen. While older studies suggest that glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) should be routinely administered, much of this evidence was collected prior to the era of widespread stenting and thienopyridine use. There is now substantial clinical evidence that bivalirudin monotherapy is the optimal adjunctive pharmacology for the vast majority of patients undergoing elective or urgent percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), including those presenting with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Bivalirudin monotherapy provides similar protection from ischemic complications with a reduced rate of major hemorrhage, resulting in a superior net clinical outcome compared with the use of GPI.