Yokota T, et al. - In this study retrospectively enrolling 76 patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 12 h after the onset, researchers investigated how residual thrombus burden, assessed by optical coherence tomography post-PCI, was altered by prasugrel vs clopidogrel. Among the participants, prasugrel (loading dose, 20 mg) was administered to 34 patients and the remaining 42 were treated with clopidogrel (loading dose, 300 mg). Post-PCI optical coherence tomography was used to evaluate stent volume and in-stent thrombus volume. A more effective reduction in residual thrombus burden was seen with prasugrel after stent implantation in patients with STEMI. This finding is suggestive of a faster and more potent platelet inhibitory effect of prasugrel vs clopidogrel.