Antiplatelet agents and their effect on complications during or soon after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty.

In a retrospective study, during which 179 patients had undergone percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA), the overall initial success rate fell suddenly and unexpectedly from more than 90% to 70.4%: 54.9% in patients not receiving antiplatelet therapy and 86.4% in patients treated orally with 300 mg triflusal three times daily or 300 mg acetylsalicylic acid plus 75 mg dipyridamole three times daily. The initial success rate was similar in patients with unstable (66.0%) and stable (77.6%) angina. The overall incidence of severe complications (mainly occlusion) was 16.2% and was significantly (P less than 0.01) greater in the patients not receiving antiplatelet therapy (23.1% versus 9.1%). There was no significant difference between incidence according to antiplatelet therapy used. It is concluded that antiplatelet therapy during the peri-angioplasty period (from 2 days before to 2 days after) may prevent periprocedural events in patients undergoing PTCA.