Intraaortic balloon pump in myocardial infarction: Always, Never, or for the Right Patient?

SEMPER FI was a 100-patient pilot study that randomized acute myocardial infarction (AMI) patients with persistent ischemia following percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) to intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) versus control. AMI patients with persistent ischemia receiving short-term IABP post-PCI had a greater resolution of persistent ST segment elevation and a trend for decreased clinical events. These results support a larger adequately powered trial of IABP versus control in AMI patients with persistent ischemia following primary PCI.