Coronary stenting from the radial approach is efficacious in patients with acute coronary syndromes. Access site bleeding complications are less, and early ambulation results in a shorter hospital length of stay. There was a 15% reduction in total hospital charge in the radial group.

SUMMARY End-systolic pressure (PE8), volume (VES), wall tension (TE8) and circumference (CES) of the human left ventricle were studied at cardiac catheterization in 24 subjects with varying degrees of left ventricular dysfunction. Acute alterations in systolic load con-sistently resulted in changes in VEs and CEs, with a smaller volume and circumference characterizing the lower systolic load in each subject. End systolic pressure-volume lines were constructed by plotting PEs against VEs at the higher and lower systolic load in each subject. tricular cineangiography and simultaneous left ventricular or aortic pressure recording formed the study population. In sixteen subjects afterload was reduced with an organic nitrate. Hemodynamic and angiographic measurements were made before (control), and 15 minutes after the start of an intravenous infusion of sodium nitroprusside given at a rate sufficient to lower mean aortic pressure 15-20 mm Hg (nine subjects). Similar measurements were made before and after administration of 10 mg chewable (buccal absorption) erithrityl tetranitrate (three subjects) or 20 mg isosorbide dinitrate, p.o. (four subjects). In these subjects, heart rate was comparable in both states without atrial pacing. In three subjects, measurements were made before and 15 minutes after the start of an intravenous infusion of methoxamine given at a rate sufficient to raise aortic mean pressure by greater than 20 mm Hg; in these subjects, atrial pacing was utilized to assure comparable heart rates in the two states. In each study, quantitative left ventriculography together with simultaneous left ventricular or aortic pressure measurement was carried out in two states: before and during afterload manipulation. Data were included in the analysis only when (a) ventriculograms and pressure tracings from both states were technically of high quality for quantitation of left ventricular volume and pressure, and (b) changes in mean aortic pressure for the isosorbide dinitrate and erithrityl tetranitrate studies were at least 10 mm Hg. In 19 subjects left ventricular volumes and pressures were determined at two states of systolic loading.The remaining five subjects were selected on the basis of having single ventricular extrasystolic beats during quantitative biplane left ventriculography with simultaneous recording of left ventricular or aortic pressure. In these subjects the left ventricular end-systolic pressure-volume relations of control and post-extrasystolic potentiated beats could be compared.For the total group of 24 subjects, left ventriculography was carried out using biplane 35 mm cineangiography (PA and lateral projection) in 16 subjects, and single plane 35 mm cineangiography (right anterior oblique projection) in eight subjects. Left ventricular volumes were determined by planimetry using the area-length method of Dodge and coworkers12 and Kasser and Kennedy,13 and a small computer 845

TRA is already widely used across the world. Diagnostic and guiding-catheters used for TRA remain similar to those used for traditional femoral approach, suggesting that specialized radial catheters are not frequently used. However, there is substantial variation in practice as it relates to specific aspects of TRA, suggesting that more data are needed to determine the optimal strategy to facilitate TRA and optimize radial artery patency after catheterization.

Despite the treatment of more complex lesions with TAXUS Liberté, the primary end point was met, demonstrating that TAXUS Liberté is non-inferior to TAXUS Express. The successful transfer of the proven TAXUS technology to the more advanced TAXUS Liberté platform was demonstrated. (TAXUS ATLAS: TAXUS Liberté-SR Stent for the Treatment of De Novo Coronary Artery Lesions; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct/show/NCT00371709?order=1; NCT00371709).

SUMMARY Mechanisms involved in the altered left ventricular (LV) diastolic properties during angina were studied in 26 patients with coronary artery disease. Angina was induced by rapid atrial pacing and measurements were made at rest and during angina in the immediate post-pacing period. No