Vascular complications are the most common type of complication after a cardiac catheterization. These include hematoma, pseudoaneurysm, arteriovenous fistula, peripheral artery occlusion and dissection, and retroperitoneal bleeding. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority reports that nearly half the medical errors that occurred between June 2004 and December 2006 were cardiac catheterization complications, many of which were vascular related. The American College of Cardiology's National Cardiovascular Data Registry benchmark for vascular complications incidence is less than 1% for diagnostic catheterizations and less than 3% for percutaneous coronary intervention. The need to search for strategies to decrease vascular complication in diagnostic cardiac catheterization patients was a priority.
As transradial approaches to cardiac catheterizations and percutaneous coronary interventions steadily rise in the United States, we reviewed evidence-based studies to compare the radial and femoral approaches to cardiac catheterization. The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of transradial and femoral approaches for cardiac catheterizations and percutaneous coronary interventions, preparation for the procedure, and nursing management of these patients. The strategies used to develop the transition process are also discussed.
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