Is antithrombotic therapy different in patients with acute coronary syndromes without st segment elevation?

Is antithrombotic treatment different in patients with acute coronary syndromes with or without ST segment elevation in Argentina? Due to the increased thrombotic burden of STEMI patients, we may expect an increased antithrombotic regimen compared to NSTEMI. To prove it, data from 438 consecutive patients (STEMI 41%, NSTEMI 59%) were included, who were discharged alive from the Argentine cohort of the EPICOR study, an international registry with focus on antithrombotic therapy in ACS. STEMI patients were younger than NSTEMI patients (59 +/- 11 vs. 64 +/- 12 years; p< 0.001), and they had less cardiovascular history (22% vs. 53%; p<0.001), prior myocardial infarction (16% vs. 24%; p<0.001) and chronic angina (2% vs. 16%; p <0.001). STEMI received less chronic aspirin (23 vs. 53%, p<0.01) and clopidogrel (5 vs. 16 p<0.01) compared with NSTEMI; but more aspirin (38 vs. 19%, p<0.01), and prasugrel loads (15 y 7%, p< 0.05) during the hospital stay. At hospital discharge, the antithrombotic treatment was similar, with the exception of more use of prasugrel in STEMI patients (17 vs. 8%, p<0.05). To conclude, antithrombotic treatment has little differences comparing STEMI and NSTEMI patients. STEMI patients receive less chronic and more in-hospital treatment. At hospital discharge both groups receive similar intensive regimens.