Superiority of ticagrelor over clopidogrel in patients after cardiac arrest undergoing therapeutic hypothermia.

Current guidelines suggest that patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) receive dual-antiplatelet therapy. There are limited data on the pharmacodynamics of P2Y12 inhibitors in patients with cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) undergoing PCI and therapeutic hypothermia (TH). Accordingly, we compared inhibition of platelet reactivity in patients undergoing TH receiving clopidogrel or ticagrelor. Notably, clopidogrel was ineffective in lowering platelet reactivity, with ticagrelor providing a more rapid (within 4 hours) and sustained reduction (6 days) in platelet reactivity. Pending outcome-based studies, ticagrelor should be used preferentially in patients who have ROSC and are undergoing PCI and TH.