The study sought to evaluate whether prophylactic ipsilateral ulnar artery compression during radial artery hemostasis could reduce the risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO).
RAO after transradial ...access (TRA) is a structural complication of TRA. It limits future ipsilateral TRA and may cause transient pain. Maintaining radial artery flow during hemostasis reduces the incidence of acute RAO. Ipsilateral ulnar compression increases radial artery flow and could impact the incidence of RAO.
Three thousand patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization using TRA were randomized to receive either standard patent hemostasis protocol (Group I) or prophylactic ipsilateral ulnar compression in addition to patent hemostasis (Group II). Using plethysmography, radial artery patency was evaluated at the time of removal of the compression device as well as 24 h and 30 days after the procedure. The primary study endpoint was 30-day RAO.
The primary endpoint, 30-day RAO, was significantly reduced in patients with patent hemostasis and prophylactic ulnar compression compared with standard patent hemostasis (0.9% vs. 3.0%; p = 0.0001). Baseline patient and procedural characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. RAO was significantly reduced by prophylactic ulnar compression at all time intervals (p < 0.0001).
Prophylactic ipsilateral ulnar compression during radial artery hemostasis is an effective, simple, and inexpensive technique that lowers the risk of RAO after TRA.
Studies comparing gender-specific outcomes in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have reported conflicting results. Gender differences in cerebrovascular accident/systemic embolism (CVA/SE) or ...major bleeding outcomes with novel oral anticoagulant (NOAC) use are not known. The goal of this analysis was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating gender differences in residual risk of CVA/SE and major bleeding outcomes in patients with nonvalvular AF treated with either warfarin or NOAC. Sixty-four randomized studies were identified using keywords “gender,” “AF,” and “CVA.” Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-analysis method, 6 studies met criteria for inclusion in this meta-analysis. CVA/SE and major bleeding outcomes were separately analyzed in cohorts receiving warfarin and NOAC agents, comparing men with women. Women with AF taking warfarin were at a significantly greater residual risk of CVA/SE compared with men (odds ratio 1.279, 95% confidence interval 1.111 to 1.473, Z = −3.428, p = 0.001). No gender difference in residual risk of CVA/SE was noted in patients with AF receiving NOAC agents (odds ratio 1.146, 95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.354, p = 0.109). Major bleeding was less frequent in women with AF treated with NOAC. In conclusion, women with AF treated with warfarin have a greater residual risk of CVA/SE and an equivalent major bleeding risk, whereas those treated with NOAC agents deemed superior to warfarin are at equivalent residual risk of CVA/SE and less major bleeding risk compared with men. These results suggest an increased net clinical benefit of NOAC agents compared with warfarin in treating women with AF.
Summary Background Transradial access for cardiac catheterisation results in lower bleeding and vascular complications than the traditional transfemoral access route. However, the increased radiation ...exposure potentially associated with transradial access is a possible drawback of this method. Whether transradial access is associated with a clinically significant increase in radiation exposure that outweighs its benefits is unclear. Our aim was therefore to compare radiation exposure between transradial access and transfemoral access for diagnostic coronary angiograms and percutaneous coronary interventions (PCI). Methods We did a systematic review and meta-analysis of the scientific literature by searching the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases with relevant terms, and cross-referencing relevant articles for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared radiation parameters in relation to access site, published from Jan 1, 1989, to June 3, 2014. Three investigators independently sorted the potentially relevant studies, and two others extracted data. We focused on the primary radiation outcomes of fluoroscopy time and kerma-area product, and used meta-regression to assess the changes over time. Secondary outcomes were operator radiation exposure and procedural time. We used both fixed-effects and random-effects models with inverse variance weighting for the main analyses, and we did confirmatory analyses for observational studies. Findings Of 1252 records identified, we obtained data from 24 published RCTs for 19 328 patients. Our primary analyses showed that transradial access was associated with a small but significant increase in fluoroscopy time for diagnostic coronary angiograms (weighted mean difference WMD, fixed effect: 1·04 min, 95% CI 0·84–1·24; p<0·0001) and PCI (1·15 min, 95% CI 0·96–1·33; p<0·0001), compared with transfemoral access. Transradial access was also associated with higher kerma-area product for diagnostic coronary angiograms (WMD, fixed effect: 1·72 Gy·cm2 , 95% CI −0·10 to 3·55; p=0·06), and significantly higher kerma-area product for PCI (0·55 Gy·cm2 , 95% CI 0·08–1·02; p=0·02). Mean operator radiation doses for PCI with basic protection were 107 μSv (SD 110) with transradial access and 74 μSv (68) with transfemoral access; with supplementary protection, the doses decreased to 21 μSv (17) with transradial access and 46 μSv (9) with transfemoral. Meta-regression analysis showed that the overall difference in fluoroscopy time between the two procedures has decreased significantly by 75% over the past 20 years from 2 min in 1996 to about 30 s in 2014 (p<0·0001). In observational studies, differences and effect sizes remained consistent with RCTs. Interpretation Transradial access was associated with a small but significant increase in radiation exposure in both diagnostic and interventional procedures compared with transfemoral access. Since differences in radiation exposure narrow over time, the clinical significance of this small increase is uncertain and is unlikely to outweigh the clinical benefits of transradial access. Funding None.
Robotic-assisted percutaneous coronary intervention (R-PCI) has been successfully employed in the United States since 2011. Performing R-PCI from a remote location has never been reported but if ...feasible would extend availability of treatment to many patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) who would otherwise go without.
To assess the feasibility of remote tele-R-PCI with the operator 20 miles away from the patients.
Five patients with single, type A coronary artery lesions treatable by PCI consented to participate. The primary endpoint was procedural success with no major adverse cardiac events (MACE) before discharge. Procedural success was defined as achieving <10% diametric stenosis of the occluded target vessel utilizing tele-R-PCI balloon angioplasty and stent deployment (CorPath GRX®, Corindus Vascular Robotics, USA) without converting to in-lab manual PCI by an on-site standby team. Procedural, angiographic, and safety data were collected as were questionnaire scores from the remote operator evaluating the robot-network composite, image clarity, and overall confidence in the procedure.
The primary endpoint was achieved in 100% of patients. No procedural complications or adverse events occurred, and all patients were discharged the following day without MACE. The operator scores were favorable with the operators rating the procedure as equivalent to an in-lab procedure.
Performing long distance tele-R-PCI in patients with CAD is feasible with predictably successful outcomes if reliable network connectivity and local cardiac catheterization facilities are available.
Patients with STEMI were assigned to primary PCI with or without thrombectomy. At 180 days, there was no significant between-group difference in the primary outcome of death or cardiovascular events. ...Patients in the thrombectomy group had a higher rate of stroke at 30 days.
Primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), when available, is the most effective method of achieving reperfusion in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).
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However, a major limitation of primary PCI is the possibility of distal embolization of thrombus and failure to restore flow at the microvascular level. Measures of microvascular tissue reperfusion, such as the degree of ST-segment resolution or angiographic myocardial blush grade, have been shown to predict the rate of death after primary PCI.
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Removal of the thrombus by manual thrombectomy before stent deployment has the potential of reducing distal embolization and improving microvascular perfusion. Small, randomized . . .
Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is an infrequent, asymptomatic, complication of transradial catheterization and probably 1 of the few. Intravenous heparin and patent hemostasis lower its incidence. A ...possible local effect of intra-arterially administered heparin during transradial procedures has not been evaluated. We studied 500 consecutive patients randomized to an intravenous group (n = 250), receiving 50 U/kg of unfractionated heparin (maximal dose 5,000 U) intravenously, and an intra-arterial group (n = 250) receiving the same dose intra-arterially. All patients received a vasodilator “cocktail” intra-arterially and underwent cardiac catheterization using a 5F introducer sheath and catheters. The activated clotting time was measured at the end of the procedure. All patients received hemostasis with a radial compression device (TR Band), applied after sheath removal, for 2 hours. A plethysmographic evaluation for RAO was performed at 24 hours and 30 days after the procedure. Early RAO occurred in 5.6% (n = 14) of the intravenous group and 6% (n = 15) of the intra-arterial group. The difference was not statistically significant (chi-square = 0.037, p >0.8). Chronic RAO occurred in 3.2%, (n = 8) of the intravenous group compared to 4% (n = 10) of the intra-arterial group. The difference was not statistically significant (chi-square = 0.231, p >0.6). The activated clotting time was 211 ± 16 seconds in the intravenous group and 213 ± 17 seconds in the intra-arterial group, a statistically insignificant difference (t = −1.095, p >0.2). In conclusion, intra-arterial and intravenous heparin administration provide comparable efficacy in preventing RAO, favoring a probable systemically mediated mechanism of action, rather than a local effect.
Systemic anticoagulation decreases the risk of radial artery occlusion (RAO) after transradial catheterization and standard occlusive hemostasis. We compared the efficacy and safety of provisional ...heparin use only when the technique of patent hemostasis was not achievable to standard a priori heparin administration after radial sheath introduction. Patients referred for coronary angiography were randomized in 2 groups. In the a priori group, 200 patients received intravenous heparin (50 IU/kg) immediately after sheath insertion. In the provisional group, 200 patients did not receive heparin during the procedure. After sheath removal, hemostasis was obtained using a TR band (Terumo corporation, Tokyo, Japan) with a plethysmography-guided patent hemostasis technique. In the provisional group, no heparin was given if radial artery patency could be obtained and maintained. If radial patency was not achieved, a bolus of heparin (50 IU/kg) was given. Radial artery patency was evaluated at 24 hours (early RAO) and 30 days after the procedure (late RAO) by plethysmography. Patent hemostasis was obtained in 67% in the a priori group and 74% in the provisional group (p = 0.10). Incidence of RAO remained similar in the 2 groups at the early (7.5% vs 7.0%, p = 0.84) and late (4.5% vs 5.0%, p = 0.83) evaluations. Women, patients with diabetes, patients having not received heparin, and patients without radial artery patency during hemostasis had more RAO. By multivariate analysis, patent radial artery during hemostasis (odds ratio OR 0.03, 95% confidence interval CI 0.004 to 0.28, p = 0.002) and diabetes (OR 11, 95% CI 3 to 38,p <0.0001) were independent predictors of late RAO, whereas heparin was not (OR 0.45 95% CI 0.13 to 1.54, p = 0.20). In conclusion, our results suggest that maintenance of radial artery patency during hemostasis is the most important parameter to decrease the risk of RAO. In selected cases, provisional use of heparin appears feasible and safe when patent hemostasis is maintained.
Acute kidney injury (AKI) after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with worse outcomes. Consecutive patients undergoing PCI between 2005 and 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. ...Patients undergoing PCI using transfemoral access (TFA) were categorized as the TFA Group, and those using transradial access (TRA) were categorized as the TRA Group. Post-PCI AKI was defined as an increase in serum creatinine >0.5 mg/dl or >25% increase from baseline 48 to 72 hours after the procedure. Independent predictors of post-PCI AKI were identified using inverse probability weighted multivariable analysis. There were 7,529 patients included in the analysis, 5,353 (71%) in the TFA Group and 2,176 (29%) in the TRA Group. Patients in the TRA Group were younger, more likely to be female, taller, heavier and have acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and were less likely to have previous coronary artery bypass graft surgery, cardiogenic shock, and intra-aortic balloon pump use and had shorter fluoroscopy time and less contrast use. Bleeding Academic Research Consortium type 3 or 5 was significantly less frequent in the TRA Group. The primary end point of post-PCI AKI was observed significantly less frequently in the TRA Group compared with the TFA Group (1.1% vs 2.4%, p = 0.001). TRA was independently associated with a lower incidence of post-PCI AKI (odds ratio 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.35 to 0.91, p = 0.018). In conclusion, access site choice is an independent predictor of post-PCI AKI with a significant risk reduction associated with TRA compared with TFA.
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