BACKGROUND:

The STEEPLE trial assessed outcomes of patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention randomized to receive a bolus of intravenous enoxaparin (0.5 or 0.75 mg/kg, n = 2,298) or activated clotting time-adjusted unfractionated heparin (UFH, n = 1,230), stratified according to planned glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor use.

METHODS:

In this subanalysis, we assessed outcomes in patients with renal impairment (creatinine clearance < or =60 mL/min, n = 659).

RESULTS:

Major bleeding occurred more often in patients with renal impairment compared with those without (2.7% vs 1.5%, P = .04). Enoxaparin was associated with less major bleeding than UFH with normal renal function (0.9% for enoxaparin 0.5 mg/kg or 1.0% for enoxaparin 0.75 mg/kg vs 2.6%, respectively; both P = .01 vs UFH), with a trend toward less major bleeding with impaired renal function (2.6% or 1.8% vs 3.8%, P = .18 for enoxaparin 0.5 mg/kg and P = .47 for 0.75 mg/kg vs UFH). Minor bleeding rates were similar irrespective of renal function or anticoagulation regimen. The incidence of death, nonfatal myocardial infarction, or urgent target-vessel revascularization was similar between patients with and without renal impairment (5.7% vs 6.5%, P = .45). In patients with renal impairment, event rates were 6.2% or 5.3% with enoxaparin vs 5.6% with UFH (P = nonsignificant). Target anticoagulation levels were achieved 4 to 5 times more often with enoxaparin compared with UFH in patients with normal and impaired renal function (both P < .0001).

CONCLUSIONS:

A single bolus of enoxaparin was associated with similar ischemic events and a trend for less major bleeding compared with UFH in patients with renal impairment undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention. Enoxaparin can be administered safely without dose adjustment in these patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION:

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00077844.