The American journal of cardiology
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Comparative Study
Role of prophylactic intra-aortic balloon pump in high-risk patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention.
Intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) has been shown to support patients who are at high risk for percutaneous coronary interventions (PCIs) or becoming hemodynamically unstable during PCI, but the longer term outcomes of these strategies are unknown. This study investigated the outcomes of high-risk patients who received a prophylactic IABP (P-IABP) versus patients who required rescue IABP (R-IABP) because of intraprocedural complications. Clinical outcomes of 68 consecutive patients (69 procedures) who underwent high-risk PCI with P-IABP support were compared with those of 46 patients who required R-IABP. ⋯ The incidence of vascular complications was low and comparable except for more major bleeding (15% vs 3%, p = 0.03) in the R-IABP group. In conclusion, patients who undergo high-risk PCI and then receive P-IABP support have favorable outcomes compared with those who require R-IABP for intraprocedural complications. Therefore, in high-risk patients undergoing PCI, liberal use of a P-IABP should be considered.