LV Thrombus After Acute AMI: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Left Ventricular (LV) thrombus formation is witnessed in at least 10% of patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). It is a feared complication since it might increase the risk of thrombo-embolic events, including stroke. Guidelines recommend vitamin K antagonist treatment in these patients. However patients with STEMI nowadays undergo primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with coronary stent placement and consequently require dual anti-platelet therapy (ascal and P2Y12 inhibitors) to prevent stent thrombosis. Consequently, STEMI patients with LV thrombus are currently treated with triple antithrombotic therapy (aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors, e.g. clopidogrel (75 mg/d) and vitamin K antagonist). Patients treated with triple antithrombotic therapy are subject to a strongly increased bleeding risk with a yearly incidence of 3.7% for dual anti-platelet therapy as compared to 12% for triple antithrombotic therapy. About 10% of these bleedings are cerebral. The mortality of such haemorrhagic strokes is 25%. A recent retrospective analysis did not show any beneficial effects of addition of vitamin K antagonist to dual anti-platelet therapy to prevent stroke. If vitamin K antagonist-therapy could be omitted, morbidity and mortality due to post-PCI bleedings will decrease. Therefore, a randomized trial is warranted to address this issue. Design: A multicenter, prospective, randomized, two non-inferiority trial. The objective of the study is to determine in a randomized fashion the risks and benefits of the addition of vitamin K antagonists to dual anti-platelet therapy or dual anti-platelet therapy in patients with PCI-treated STEMI and LV thrombus formation on baseline echocardiography or baseline Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI).