Early stent thrombosis after percutaneous coronar intervention for acute myocardial infarction

Stent thrombosis (ST) is the most feared complication of coronary stent treatment because of its morbidity and mortality. Ongoing research is focusing on the frequency and the timing in various patient subsets as well as the factors associated with the occurrence of ST. The mechanism of ST is multifactorial, hence various procedure-, lesion- and patient-related factors have been associated with its occurrence. Beside these factors the role of adjunctive antithrombotic therapy remains unchallenged. Emerging data suggest that primary percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) can be a predictor of subsequent ST. As patients presenting with STEMI are at increased risk of ST, employment of the optimal pharmacological, procedure- and device-related prevention and treatment modalities are imperative.