We evaluated whether the use of glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor inhibitors, in addition to heparin and aspirin, imparts an incremental benefit in a subgroup of patients with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) who had congestive heart failure (CHF) symptoms at presentation.

We analyzed patients enrolled in the Platelet IIb/IIIa in Unstable Angina: Receptor Suppression Using Integrilin Therapy (PURSUIT) trial, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating the use of eptifibatide versus placebo for patients with ACS without persistent ST-elevation. We compared the clinical characteristics and 30-day outcomes for 861 patients who had Killip class II or III CHF symptoms with those of 8558 patients who had no CHF symptoms.

Odds ratios for the primary end point, 30-day death or non-fatal myocardial infarction, in the placebo group versus the eptifibatide group were similar for patients with and without CHF (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.8–1.5; odds ratio, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.0–1.3). However, adverse events were almost twice as frequent for patients with CHF compared with patients with no CHF (24.5% vs 14%).

Although patients with non-ST–segment elevation ACS who have CHF have markedly worse outcomes than patients without CHF symptoms, we did not find an incremental benefit from the use of eptifibatide in this seriously ill subgroup.