BACKGROUND: Radial artery occlusion (RAO) is a clinically silent complication of transradial catheterization but may predispose to hand ischemia. Factors associated with this complication are the diameter of catheters and sheaths, the dose of heparin, repeated transradial procedures and the type of compressive dressing applied. The objective of this study was to evaluate if there is an association between reused hydrophilic vascular introducers and RAO. METHODS: Patients undergoing transradial catheterization were randomized to receive brand new introducers (Group I - GI) or reprocessed introducers (Group II - GII). The presence of RAO was evaluated at 24 hours (early) and day 30 (late) with the reverse Barbeau test. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-eight patients were assigned to GI (n = 100) and GII (n = 128). Mean age was 60.1 ± 10.6 years vs. 59.4 ± 10.9 years (P = 0.64), 49% vs. 35.2% (P = 0.03) were female and 25% vs. 27.3% (P = 0.70) were diabetic. An total early RAO incidence of 10.5% and a late RAO incidence of 9.1% were observed. Ten GI patients (10%) had early RAO when compared to 14 (19.9%) in GII (χ² = 0.05; HR: 1.09; P = 0.82). On the 30-day follow-up RAO was observed in 6 GI patients (7.5%) when compared to 11 GII patients (10.4%) (χ² = 0.45; HR = 1.38; P = 0.50). CONCLUSIONS: In our study no association was found between reused vascular introducers and early and late RAO in patients undergoing cardiac catheterization.
Radial artery; Coronary occlusion; Cardiac catheterization; Equipment reuse
