Radial access is associated with a lower rate of vascular and bleeding complications however female patients with smaller diameter arteries such access might be technically more difficult.
This prospective, randomized, multicenter study compared both approaches in the context of coronary angioplasty in female patients. 1787 patients were randomized (893 in the radial group and 894 in the femoral group). No differences in baseline characteristics were observed in both populations with approximately 40% of diabetics. The study showed no differences in bleeding complications (1.2% radial versus 2.9 % femoral, p = 0.12 ), duration of procedure or cardiovascular complications at 30 days. There was a greater crossover in the group randomized to radial access. Despite this study, exposed no positive results in favor of radial access neither adds an increased risk and showed a trend towards fewer vascular complications as a Dr Roxana Mehran comment.
Sunil V. Rao
2013-10-29
Original title: A Prospective, Registry-Based Randomized Trial of Radial Versus Femoral Vascular Access in Women Undergoing Diagnostic Cardiac Catheterization and PCI.