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Updated: Jul 16, 2026
10:28
Interventional Diagnostic Procedure: A Practical Guide for the Assessment of Coronary Vascular Function
Published on: March 15, 2022
Bivalirudin in percutaneous coronary intervention
1Department of Medicine, Flinders University, South Australia, Australia.
Vascular Health and Risk Management
|February 28, 2007
Summary
Bivalirudin, a direct thrombin inhibitor, offers a safe and effective alternative to heparin for patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS), reducing bleeding without compromising efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Pharmacology
- Thrombosis and Hemostasis
Background:
- Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor anticoagulant.
- It is evaluated as an alternative to heparins in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and acute coronary syndrome (ACS).
Purpose of the Study:
- Review the pharmacology of bivalirudin.
- Examine clinical trial evidence for its use in PCI and ACS.
Main Methods:
- Review of pharmacology of bivalirudin.
- Analysis of clinical trial data and meta-analyses in ACS and PCI settings.
- Discussion of early results from the ACUITY trial.
Main Results:
- Bivalirudin is a viable alternative to heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors in PCI and ACS.
- Consistent reduction in bleeding rates without loss of anti-thrombotic efficacy across trials.
- Potential economic benefits due to reduced use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors.
Conclusions:
- Bivalirudin demonstrates pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic advantages over indirect anticoagulants.
- Clinical trials support bivalirudin as an effective and safe anticoagulant option.
- Further data from trials like ACUITY contribute to understanding its role in cardiovascular interventions.
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