Prognostic implications of creatine kinase elevation after primary percutaneous coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction.

Objectives: We examined the prognostic implications of the absolute level and rate of increase of creatine kinase (CK) elevation after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: Peak creatine kinase (CK(peak)) and the rate of CK increase are related to reperfusion success and clinical outcomes after thrombolytic therapy for acute myocardial infarction (AMI). The utility of routine serial CK monitoring after primary PCI, in which normal antegrade blood flow is restored in most patients, is unknown.

Non-polymer-based paclitaxel-coated coronary stents for the treatment of patients with de novo coronary lesions: angiographic follow-up of the DELIVER clinical trial.

Background: Paclitaxel, a microtubule-stabilizing compound with potent antitumor activity, has been shown to inhibit smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration. The DELIVER trial was a prospective, randomized, blinded, multicenter clinical evaluation of the non-polymer-based paclitaxel-coated ACHIEVE stent compared with the stainless steel Multi-Link (ML) PENTA stent.

Methods And Results: A total of 1043 patients with focal de novo coronary lesions, <25 mm in length, in 2.