Background/Objectives
Transradial access (TRA) is being increasingly used for both diagnostic and interventional cardiac procedures. Use of TRA offers many advantages: decreased bleeding, vascular complications, reduced length of hospital stay, and reduced cost. However, the small size of the radial artery limits the size of the equipment that can be used via this approach. We sought to investigate that pre-procedural manual heating of radial artery is facilitates radial artery puncture.
Methods
Patients undergoing transradial cardiac catheterization were randomized in a double-blind fashion to a subcutaneous combination of nitroglycerin+diltiazem or manual heating (Balbay Maneuver). The study endpoint was puncture score( score 1: easiest puncture – first try, score 2: puncture at second try, score 3:puncture at third try, score 4: puncture at forth or more try, score 5: radial puncture failed).
Results
90 patients were enrolled (45 allocated to treatment group and 45 to heating group). Patients underwent ultrasound of the radial artery before the catheterization. Complications were rare: one hematoma (treatment group) and one radial artery occlusion (heating group). Baseline demographic and clinical characteristics were similar. The baseline radial artery diameter was similar in both groups.(2.41 ± 0.46 mm in heating group and 2.30 ± 0.48 mm in treatment group. However, puncture score was 1.47 ± 0.9 in heating group and 2.22 ±1.2 in treatment group (p=0.002), respectively.
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