Patients with chronic renal insufficiency (CRI) have worse outcomes during and after percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Abciximab reduces complications, but may cause excessive bleeding in patients with CRI. Therefore, we sought to determine the safety of abciximab in patients with CRI.

Patients (n = 4158) undergoing PCI at the Mayo Clinic since abciximab became available were analyzed according to their estimated creatinine clearance (≥70, 50–69, or <50 mL/min) or need for dialysis. Major bleeding was defined as a cerebrovascular bleed or a decrease in the hematocrit level >15%. Minor bleeding was defined as a decrease in the hematocrit level of 10% to 15% with an identifiable site of bleeding.

CRI was associated with increased bleeding in patients who received abciximab and patients who did not. However, there was only a trend toward an interaction between creatinine clearance and major bleeding with abciximab (odds ratio [OR], 1.18; P = .06) and no interaction with minor bleeding (OR, 1.01; P = .94) or any bleeding (OR, 1.10; P = .15).

CRI is associated with an increased risk of bleeding complications after PCI. Although abciximab increases the risk of bleeding in all patients, the increase in relative risk is not significantly greater in patients with CRI. Thus, abciximab may be given safely in patients with CRI who are undergoing PCI.