Facilitated/Pharmaco-invasive Approaches in STEMI

Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the preferred reperfusion method in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), when performed in a timely manner and by skilled operators. However, this strategy has shown to be limited in environments with lack of PCI facilities and delay in the first medical contact-to-balloon time for logistic reasons. Pretreatment with fibrinolysis and/or glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors before PCI has the potential to provide early pharmacologic reperfusion before definitive PCI in STEMI patients. However, current data suggest that facilitated PCI does not offer any advantage over primary PCI. Conversely, a role for pharmacoinvasive recanalization, defined as pharmacological reperfusion followed by rapid transfer for routine delayed coronary angiography and PCI may still be considered in centers without on-site PCI capability.