GP IIb/IIIa therapy is indicated in patients undergoing coronary angioplasty, inparticular those patients with unstable angina or with other clinical characteristics of high risk. Contraindications to GP IIb/IIIa inhibitors include active bleeding, a bleeding diathesis in the past 30 days, intracranial tumors, intracranial hemorrhage, arteriovenous malformation, recent stroke, major surgery or traumain the preceding month, thrombocytopenia, severe hypertension, and aortic dissection. The agents in this class include eptifibatide, tirofiban, and abciximab. Eptifibatide and tirofiban are preferred in patients with unstable angina and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) managed medically, while abciximab is preferred in those undergoing PCI. The dose of abciximab as an adjunct in PCI is 0.125 mcg/kg/minute and when used for unstable angina the dose is 10 mcg/minute for 18 to 24 hours. Tirofiban is dosed at 0.1 mcg/kg/minute and should be continued for 12 to 24 hours after PCI. Eptifibatide is dosed at 2 mcg/kg/minute after a 180-mcg/kg bolus for acute coronary syndromes. The side effects of these medications include intracranial hemorrhage, gastrointestinal bleeding, thrombocytopenia, hematuria, retroperitoneal bleeding, and other severe bleeding diatheses.