The Rise and Fall of Anticoagulation with Bivalirudin During Percutaneous Coronary Interventions: A Review Article

Bivalirudin is a direct thrombin inhibitor used during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Treatment with bivalirudin compared to heparin plus glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors (GPI) reduced bleeding complications, but resulted in higher rates of ischemic events, including acute stent thrombosis in ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. Thus, it may be considered a reasonable alternative antithrombotic agent in patients at high risk of bleeding undergoing PCI. However its superiority over heparin alone is questioned particularly in the era of novel antiplatelet agents and transradial PCI.