[Antithrombotic therapy during percutaneous coronary interventions]

Antithrombotic therapy is essential during percutaneous coronary interventions for the prevention of peri-procedural death and myocardial infarction. The most commonly used agents are aspirin, clopidogrel and heparin in patients treated by percutaneous angioplasty or receiving an arterial stent. Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists such as abciximab are indicated during percutaneous interventions in high-risk-patients as well as, in principle, in all patients with an acute coronary syndrome with ST-segment elevation undergoing primary percutaneous angioplasty. In patients with so-called drug-eluting stents, clopidogrel should be continued for several months longer than the usual 30 days