OBJECTIVE: To describe the adverse effects that occur during and after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) possibly related to the reuse of medical equipment. An additional objective is to quantify and identify the reasons of discard in respect to the brand-new and reuse of medical equipment. METHOD: Sixty patients were studied (48.3% with unstable angina, 45% with acute myocardial infarction and 6.7% with other diagnoses). During the procedure and stay in the Intensive Coronary Unit, the occurrence of fever, hypotension or hypertension, chills, sudoresis, bleeding, nausea and vomits were observed. Seven products were evaluated: catheter introducer, catheter guides (0.35 and 0.014), catheter balloons for angioplasty, indeflators and manifolds. In total, 76 brand-new and 410 reused apparatuses were studied to verify the occurrence of discard, whether this happened before or during the procedure and for what reasons. P-values < 0.05 were considered signicant. RESULTS: Twenty-six patients presented adverse effects. Hypotension was the most common seen in 11(18.3%) cases. There was no significant association between this adverse effect and reuse or not of the equipment. Three brand-new products and 55 of the reused products were discarded as they were incomplete. CONCLUSION: The adverse effects presented by patients submitted to coronary vessel angioplasty were not associated to the reuse of the medical equipment. The integrity and functionality were the main reasons of discard.
Equipment reuse; Equipment safety; Decontamination; Sterilization; Percutaneous coronary transluminal angioplasty
