Association between off-label use of drug-eluting stents and subsequent stent thrombosis: a case-control analysis.

Objectives: We sought to examine the association between off-label drug-eluting stent (DES) use and stent thrombosis (ST) in unselected patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Background: DES are frequently used in clinical and angiographic scenarios not initially tested and approved by the FDA (off-label use) resulting in lingering concerns about the higher risk of ST in these situations.

Methods: Out of 5,383 patients undergoing PCI at a single center between 2004 and 2006, 380 had death or myocardial infarction within 1 year.

Effectiveness of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use during primary coronary angioplasty: results of propensity analysis using the New York State Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Reporting System.

Patients undergoing primary angioplasty in clinical practice experience a higher risk for adverse events than those enrolled in clinical trials. Whether glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa inhibitor use during primary angioplasty is both safe and effective in real life is unknown. Therefore, we examined the pattern of GP IIb/IIIa use and its effectiveness in a large population-based cohort of 7,321 patients who underwent primary angioplasty in New York State.