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(Circulation. 2006;114:2578-2580.)
© 2006 American Heart Association, Inc.

Editorial

Drive-Through Angioplasty

Is It Safe or Necessary?

Timothy A. Mixon, MD; Gregory J. Dehmer, MD

From the Texas A&M University College of Medicine and the Cardiology Division of the Scott & White Clinic, Temple, Tex.

Correspondence to Gregory J. Dehmer, MD, Cardiology Division, Desk 5A, Scott & White Clinic, 2401 South 31st Street, Temple, TX 76508. E-mail gdehmer@swmail.sw.org

Key Words: Editorials • stents • glycoproteins • patients • cost-benefit analysis

An extract of the first 250 words of the full text is provided, because this article has no abstract.

In this issue of Circulation, Bertrand et al¹ report the results of the Early Discharge after Transradial Stenting of Coronary Arteries (EASY) Study. After receiving a standard bolus of abciximab and undergoing a successful and uncomplicated transradial stent placement, 1005 patients were randomized to a traditional strategy with overnight hospitalization or early discharge after 4 to 6 hours. All patients received aspirin, clopidogrel, and a bolus dose of abciximab before their procedure. Those in the traditional strategy group also received a 12-hour abciximab infusion, whereas those in the early discharge group did not. The goal of the EASY study was to show that stent implantation by the radial approach with only a bolus of abciximab and then early discharge was not inferior to the traditional strategy in terms of effectiveness and safety. The primary composite end point was the 30-day incidence of death, any myocardial infarction, unplanned revascularization, major bleeding, repeat hospitalization, access-site complications, or severe thrombocytopenia. On the basis of their data, the authors concluded that the abbreviated abciximab therapy with same-day discharge was clinically not inferior to the traditional strategy after uncomplicated stent placement.

Article p 2636

With healthcare costs increasing, strategies to limit expenditures are popular and deserve careful examination. Accepted cardiology practice has moved toward dramatically shortened hospital stays for diagnostic coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as well as many other procedures. The present study suggests that many patients who undergo PCI could be managed safely as outpatients. Substantial accomplishments in the practice . . . [Full Text of this Article]