Early initiation of eptifibatide department before primary intervention for ST-segment infarction: Results of the Tim

; ChaEarly, full, and sustained restoration of infarct-related artery patency remains the criterion standard for the treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Although fibrinolytic therapy has been shown to reduce mortality in patients with STEMI when administered promptly after the onset of symptoms,1 the limitations remain: the fibrinolytic therapy achieves normal (TIMI 3) flow in only approximately 60 % of cases and carries an inherent risk of major bleeding and hemorrhagic stroke.2 Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), on the other hand, achieves higher rates of TIMI 3 flow and is associated with a lower incidence of bleeding and stroke.2 In order for primary PCI to be effective, however, it must be implemented quickly. Unfortunately, primary PCI is often not per-formed within 90 minutes of patient arrival as recom-mended in the American College of Cardiology/ American Heart Association guidelines.3 Although primary PCI frequently restores TIMI 3 flow