How to Make Radial Access Even Safer with Minimum Effort

Courtesy of Dr. Agustín Vecchia. Since 1990, radial access has progressively gained ground, currently becoming the default technique in most endovascular intervention centers. One of its few associated complications is radial artery occlusion. While most frequently clinically silent and non-serious, this complication could hinder the performance of future procedures in the patient and, in some...

No Extra Benefit for Combined Use of Bivalirudin and Transradial Approach

The aim of this meta-analyzis was to study the relation between bivalirudin and access site in patients undergoing acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Both bivalirudin and the transradial access site are strategies aiming at reducing bleeding complication in patients with ACS undergoing invasive approaches. The interaction of both strategies and the potential benefits of their combined use...

All-Spectrum Transradial Approach: Safer than Femoral

Original Title: Radial vs femoral access for coronary interventions across the entire spectrum of patients with coronary artery disease: a meta-analysis of randomized trials. Reference: Ferrante G et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv. 2016; Epub ahead of print. Regardless the type of coronary syndrome, the transradial approach results in lower mortality and complications...

TR-PCI: Upper Extremity Function Post Transradial PCI

Original Title: Upper extremity function post-transradial (TR)-PCI: interim results. Presenter: Eva Zwaan. The use of transradial access has increased in the clinical practice thanks to the reduction of vascular and bleeding complications in addition to the shorter time of hospitalization. The aim of this study was to assess prevalence, magnitude and mechanisms responsible...

MATRIX: Transradial vs. Femoral Access in Non-ST Elevation AMI

Original Title: Radial versus femoral access in patients with acute coronary syndromes with or without ST-segment elevation. Presenter: Bernardo Cortese. The MATRIX study showed that the transradial access is associated with a reduction of combined events, death, infarction, stroke and bleeding, compared to femoral access, in ACS patients. The goal of this sub-analyzis was...

Increase in Femoral Access Complications in the Transradial Era

Original Title: The Benefits Conferred by Radial Access for Cardiac Catheterization Are Offset by a Paradoxical Increase in the Rate of Vascular Access Site Complications with Femoral Access: The Campeau Radial Paradox. Reference: Lorenzo Azzalini et al. J Am Coll Cardiol Intv. 2015, ONLINE FIRST. The aim of this study was to assess whether the benefit of the radial access...