Thromboaspiration in Patients With High Thrombotic Burden Undergoing Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI)

Inclusion criteria

• Prolonged, continuous signs and symptoms of ischemia lasting more than 20 min, starting within 12 hours prior to randomization, and ST elevation ≥ 2mm in ≥2 contiguous ECG leads, or new left bundle branch block (LBBB)
• Presence of high thrombotic burden in the culprit lesion at diagnostic angiography (defined as the presence of a thrombus size ≥ 2 times the diameter of the vessel, according to a visual estimate, or abrupt cut-off occlusion of a coronary artery ≥3 mm in reference vessel diameter)
• Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Low-risk (ST elevation in ≤2 leads) inferior AMI
• Previous infarction in the same area (assessed by ECG)
• PCI in the 2 weeks prior to AMI
• Active internal bleeding
• History of cerebrovascular accident in the previous 2 years or cerebrovascular accident with a significant residual neurological deficit
• Head or spine surgery or trauma in the previous 2 months
• Recent (within six weeks) gastrointestinal (GI) or genitourinary (GU) bleeding of clinical significance
• Administration of oral anticoagulants within seven days unless prothrombin time is <1.2 times control
• Bleeding diathesis or severe uncontrolled arterial hypertension
• Thrombocytopenia (<100 000 cells/mL)
• Recent (within six weeks) major surgery or trauma
• Intracranial neoplasm, arteriovenous malformation, or aneurysm
• Severe renal or liver failure
• Allergy to aspirin
• Contraindication to MRI examination
• Pregnancy and lactation