Impact of time from symptom onset to drug administration on outcome in patients undergoing glycoprotein IIb-IIIa facilitated primary angioplasty (from the EGYPT cooperation).

Contrasting data have been so far reported on facilitation with glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors (GpIIbIIIa) in patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention. However, it has been demonstrated a time-dependent composition of coronary thrombus in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, with more platelets in the first hours. Subsequently, the benefits of early administration of GpIIbIIIa may be affected by the time from symptoms onset to GpIIbIIIa, that therefore is the aim of this study. Our population is represented by 814 patients who underwent GpIIbIIIa facilitated primary angioplasty included in the Early glycoprotein IIb-IIIa inhibitors in primary angioplasty database. Patients were divided according to quartiles of time from symptom onset to GpIIbIIIa administration (≤65 minutes; 65 to 100 minutes; 101 to 178 minutes; and >178 minutes). Myocardial perfusion was evaluated by myocardial blush grade and ST-segment resolution. Time from symptoms onset to GpIIbIIIa was linearly associated with hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and previous myocardial infarction but inversely associated with smoking. Abciximab was more often administrated later from symptoms onset. Time from symptoms onset to GpIIbIIIa was significantly associated with the rate of preprocedural recanalization (thrombolysis in myocardial infarction [TIMI] 2 to 3; p