Background: Despite the widespread use of the intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) in acute myocardial infarction (AMI), there were few clinical trials regarding the deceased's feature. Therefore, we conducted a study to investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factor led to in-hospital deaths among AMI patients with IABP support. Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics and risk factors of in-hospital death with IABP support in AMI patients. Methods: The clinical data of 572 consecutive IABP supported patients with AMI within 72 hours from symptom onset from July 2005 to July 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. The evolution of the risk factors of in-hospital death and clinical characteristics was compared in 81 non-survivors and the survivors. Results: Non-survivors had a more severe clinical profile at admission. Fewer patients were treated with emergency reperfusion therapy in the non-survivors group. Cardiogenic shock, Mechanical complications, ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation and MODS were much common in non-survivors (P<0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed advanced age (>65 years), prolonged time from symptom onset to first medical contact (FMC), Killip class III/IV, renal dysfunction(GFR <60 ml/min/1.73 m(2)), and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) <30% were risk factors associated with higher in-hospital mortality. Conclusions: IABP support may be more effective combined with revascularization for AMI patients whose hemodynamics is compromised. Patients accompanied with cardiogenic shock and other life-threatening complications are often uselesswith IABP support. Meanwhile, patient whose hemodynamics parameters have significant response to IABP may get benefits with IABP to improve in-hospital survival.