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Patient handout

Post-PCI stent thrombosis (NSTEMI presentation)

PRODUCTION

1. Your condition

This handout is for post-pci stent thrombosis (nstemi presentation). Your care team identified this based on: prior coronary stent + new acs presentation — high pretest for stent thrombosis; arc interval staging applies.

Other reasons your team may use this plan: angiographic in-stent filling defect or timi 0 occlusion at prior-stent segment — definite stent thrombosis per arc; premature dapt cessation (surgery, bleed, non-adherence) + new acs — most common modifiable cause; known cyp2c19 lof allele on clopidogrel + breakthrough event — escalation indication per tailor-pci.

2. Your medications

Take these medications exactly as prescribed. Do not stop or change a dose without talking to your provider.

MedicationStarting doseHowWhenWhat it does
aspirin162-325 mg load → 81 mgPO chewedload once → 81 mg daily lifelongUniversal — ACC/AHA 2025 Class I; lifelong post-PCI
ticagrelor180 mg load → 90 mg BID (consider 60 mg BID after 12 mo per PEGASUS for extended DAPT)POBID × 12-30 mo per DAPT score / PEGASUSPreferred escalation per TAILOR-PCI logic; PLATO PMID 19717846 net benefit; PEGASUS PMID 25773268 supports 60 mg BID 1-3 y post-MI extended phase
prasugrel60 mg load → 10 mg daily (5 mg daily if wt <60 kg)POdaily × 12-30 mo per DAPT scoreTRITON-TIMI 38 PMID 17982182 — superior to clopidogrel post-PCI; ISAR-REACT 5 PMID 31475799 — non-inferior to ticagrelor; CONTRAINDICATED prior stroke/TIA, age >75, wt <60
cangrelor30 µg/kg IV bolus + 4 µg/kg/min infusionIVcontinuous during PCI then bridge to oral P2Y12CHAMPION-PHOENIX PMID 23394482 — IV P2Y12 useful when oral absorption unreliable or bridge decision pending; rapid onset/offset
unfractionated_heparin60-70 U/kg IV bolus + infusion (titrate ACT 250-300 during PCI)IVcontinuous through PCIACC/AHA 2025 Class I peri-PCI; reversible; preferred over enoxaparin in emergent re-cath setting
eptifibatide180 µg/kg IV bolus × 2 (10 min apart) + 2 µg/kg/min infusion (renal dose-adjust)IV12-18 h post-PCISelective use per ACC/AHA 2025 Class IIb; ESPRIT/EARLY-ACS data; bleed risk significant — reserve for high-burden thrombus or no-reflow
atorvastatin80 mgPOonce dailyPROVE-IT PMID 15007110; pleiotropic + plaque-stabilising effect particularly relevant in late/very-late stent thrombosis with neoatherosclerosis

Plan: Stent-thrombosis escalated antithrombotic phenotype — escalates parent cardio.nstemi.core.v1 P2Y12 selection + adds selective IIb/IIIa + IVUS-guided PCI

3. When to call your provider

Contact your care team if any of the following happen:

  • Recurrent chest pain → ED + emergent re-cath
  • BARC 2+ bleed → individualised reassessment with IC; consider TWILIGHT PMID 31475798 ticagrelor monotherapy if absolutely required
  • NYHA worsening to III+ → expedite cardiology re-eval + echo

4. When to seek emergency care

Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room right away if you have:

  • Stent thrombosis confirmed on patient documented adherent to therapeutic DAPT (typically clopidogrel + aspirin) — gates immediate escalation to ticagrelor/prasugrel + CYP2C19 testing per TAILOR-PCI
  • Recurrent in-stent thrombosis during the same admission despite escalated DAPT and IVUS-guided optimisation(life-threatening)
  • SBP <90 with hypoperfusion OR sustained VT/VF in patient with in-stent total occlusion (TIMI 0) → SCAI C+ shock + emergent reperfusion + MCS standby(life-threatening)

5. Follow-up

Extended DAPT 30 mo (DAPT score ≥2) per Mauri NEJM 2014 OR ticagrelor 60 mg BID per PEGASUS PMID 25773268 if very-late thrombosis; CYP2C19 testing if not done (TAILOR-PCI); cardiac rehab; aggressive lipid + adherence reinforcement; consider IVUS-guided PCI for any future intervention

6. Sources

Guideline: 2025 ACC/AHA Guideline for ACS (Rao) — stent-thrombosis section; ESC 2023 ACS (Byrne, PMID 37622670); ARC stent thrombosis definitions (Cutlip, PMID 17470709)

  1. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17470709
  2. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32840378
  3. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37622670