Distal radial access and postprocedural ultrasound evaluation of proximal and distal radial artery.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the patency of the proximal and distal radial artery after coronary procedures performed via the distal radial artery (DRA). Ultrasound (US) as the most reliable method was used to diagnose radial artery occlusions (RAO). We evaluated 115 patients who underwent catheterization via distal radial access (dTRA). Following the procedure and after successful hemostasis (80 ± 36 min), arterial patency and diameter at conventional transradial access (cTRA) and distal puncture sites (either in the anatomical snuffbox or the dorsal distal RA) were assessed. No RAO were found in the proximal or distal RA and there were no significant other complications. The mean diameter of the radial artery at conventional puncture site was 2.86 ± 0.49 mm and at distal puncture site 2.31 ± 0.47 mm (p < 0.001). Postprocedural compression time of dTRA was very short. In conclusion distal radial access was associated with the absence of early arterial occlusion, significant local bleeding and other relevant complications.

The Prognostic Importance of Impaired Fasting Glycemia in Chronic Coronary Heart Disease Patients.

OBJECTIVES: Impaired glucose metabolism represents one the most important cardiovascular risk factors, with steeply raising prevalence in overall population. We aimed to compare mortality risk of impaired fasting glycaemia (IFG) and overt diabetes mellitus (DM) in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD). STUDY DESIGN: prospective cohort study METHODS: A total of 1685 patients, 6-24 months after myocardial infarction and/or coronary revascularization at baseline, were followed in a prospective cohort study. Overt DM was defined as fasting glucose ≥ 7 mmol/L and/or use of antidiabetic treatment, while IFG as fasting glucose 5.6-6.99 mmol/L, but no antidiabetic medication. The main outcomes were total and cardiovascular mortality during 5 years of follow-up. RESULTS: During follow-up of 1826 days, 172 patients (10.2%) deceased, and of them 122 (7.2%) from a cardiovascular cause. Both exposures, overt DM (n=623, 37.0% of the whole sample) and IFG (n=436, 25.9%) were associated with an independent increase of 5-year total mortality, compared to normoglycemic subjects [fully adjusted hazard risk ratio (HRR) 1.63 (95%CI: 1.01-2.61)]; p=0.043 and 2.25 (95%CI: 1.45-3.50); p<0.0001, respectively]. In contrast, comparing both glucose disorders one with each other, no significant differences were found for total mortality [HRR 0.82 (0.53-1.28); p=0.33]. Taking 5-years cardiovascular mortality as outcome, similar pattern was observed [HRR 1.96 (95%CI: 1.06-3.63) and 3.84 (95%CI: 2.19-6.73) for overt DM and IFG, respectively, with HRR 0.63 (95%CI: 0.37-1.07) for comparison of both disorders]. CONCLUSIONS: Impaired fasting glycaemia adversely increases mortality of CHD patients in the same extent as overt DM.

Post-procedural radial artery occlusion and patency detection using duplex ultrasound vs. the reverse Barbeau test.

The transradial approach is recommended as a first choice in coronary catheterizations and interventions, for among other reasons, the reduction in the number of local complications. A head-to-head comparison of the reverse Barbeau test (RBT) and duplex ultrasonography (DUSG) for the detection of post-procedural radial artery patency and occlusion has not yet been evaluated. In 500 patients from our same-day discharge program (age 65 ± 9.4 years, 148 women), radial artery patency and occlusion, compression time, haematomas, and other local complications were evaluated. Radial artery patency was confirmed in 495 patients (99.0%), and complete radial artery occlusion (RAO) was detected in 2 (0.4%) patients using both methods. In 3 patients (0.6%), the RBT was negative, while incomplete RAO was detected by DUSG. Superficial haematomas (˃ 5 but ≤10 cm) were found in 27 (5.4%) patients. There were no other local complications. Detection of radial artery patency and occlusion using the RBT and DUSG was comparable. The incidence of RAO in our study was extremely low. Thanks to its simplicity, the RBT has the potential to be used as the first method of detection of radial occlusion after coronary catheterizations.