Does manual thrombus aspiration help optimize stent implantation in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction?

Table 1 Baseline clinical and angiographic features n (%)

Characteristics	Thrombus aspiration	Conventional PCI	P value
	n = 156	n = 300
Age, mean ± SD	63.2 ± 12.8	64.3 ± 12.8	0.410
Female sex	38 (24.4)	62 (20.7)	0.370
Previous or current smoker	94 (60.3)	205 (68.3)	0.085
Hypertension	82 (52.6)	166 (55.3)	0.570
Dyslipidemia	30 (19.2)	92 (30.7)	0.009
Peripheral vasculopathy	9 (5.8)	19 (6.3)	0.800
Previous MI	10 (6.7)	36 (12.3)	0.065
Previous PCI	8 (5.1)	29 (9.7)	0.092
Previous CABG	2 (1.3)	10 (3.3)	0.190
Indication			0.013
Primary	114 (73.1)	206 (68.7)
Rescue	42 (26.9)	94 (31.3)
Classification			0.650
Anterolateral	69 (44.2)	133 (44.3)
Inferoposterior	83 (53.2)	152 (50.7)
Non-Q MI	3 (1.9)	12 (4)
LBBB	1 (0.6)	3 (1)
Killip			0.058
I	182 (86.3)	228 (76.5)
II	13 (8.5)	35 (11.7)
III	1 (0.7)	7 (2.3)
IV	7 (4.6)	28 (9.4)
Number of diseased vessels			0.003
1	94 (60.3)	136 (45.3)
2	43 (27.6)	95 (31.7)
3	19 (12.2)	69 (23)
Infarct related artery			0.650
LAD	68 (43.6)	137 (45.7)
LCx	15 (9.6)	35 (11.7)
RCA	69 (44.2)	116 (38.7)
LM	4 (2.6)	8 (2.75)
Bypass	0	1 (0.3)
GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors	100 (65.3)	150 (50.6)	0.012
IABP	7 (4.5)	25 (8.4)	0.120

PCI: Percutaneous coronary intervention; MI: Myocardial infarction; CABG: Coronary artery by-pass graft; LBBB: Left bundle branch block; LAD: Left anterior descending; LCx: Left circumflex; RCA: Right coronary artery; LM: Left-main; IABP: Intra-aortic balloon pump; GP: Glycoprotein.