Switching from abciximab to eptifibatide for percutaneous coronary interventions: a local analysis (SWAP study).

Background: Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) are recommended as adjunctive therapy with percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Before October 2000, abciximab (AB) was the only GPI available at the authors' institution. Eptifibatide (EP) was added to the formulary in October 2000 and became the preferred agent primarily due to lower cost.

Objectives: To describe the impact of switching from AB to EP in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and compare clinical and practice-related outcomes of these agents following PCI.

Methods: Retrospective chart review was performed on patients who received PCI for all indications except as primary therapy for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. The AB group consisted of all consecutive patients within the six months preceding formulary addition of EP in October 2000. A matching number of consecutive patients following this date were included in the EP group.

Results: A total of 160 patients were included (80 per group). Use of adjunctive GPI increased from 11% to 25% of PCI within three months of adding EP to the formulary (P<0.001). The composite of in-hospital death, myocardial infarction, recurrent ischemia and repeat revascularization occurred in 12.5% of EP- and 2.5% of AB-treated patients (P<0.025). Minor bleeding was more common in the EP group than in the AB group at 8.8% and 2.5%, respectively (not significant). Premature GPI discontinuation was significantly more common in the EP group (46.3% versus 7.5%, P<0.001). The mean +/- SD length of stay post-PCI was 44.4+/-51.2 h for EP and 25.1+/-12.3 h for AB (P<0.0001).

Conclusions: Adjunctive GPI usage more than doubled following the introduction of EP to the formulary. The present results suggest that EP may be associated with inferior clinical outcomes compared with AB for PCI patients.