Complications of cardiac catheterization in the current era: A single-center experience

• Published in: Catheterization and cardiovascular interventions 2001-03, Vol.52 (3), p.289-295
• Main Authors: Chandrasekar, Baskaran, Doucet, Serge, Bilodeau, Luc, Crepeau, Jacques, deGuise, Pierre, Gregoire, Jean, Gallo, Richard, Cote, Gilles, Bonan, Raoul, Joyal, Michel, Gosselin, Gilbert, Tanguay, Jean-François, Dyrda, Ihor, Bois, Marc, Pasternac, Andre
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; angioplasty; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary - adverse effects; Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary - statistics & numerical data; Antibodies, Monoclonal - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal - adverse effects; cardiac catheterization; Cardiac Catheterization - adverse effects; Cardiac Catheterization - statistics & numerical data; complications; Coronary Disease - epidemiology; Coronary Disease - therapy; Cross-Sectional Studies; Equipment Failure - statistics & numerical data; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments - administration & dosage; Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments - adverse effects; Incidence; India; Male; mortality rate; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - administration & dosage; Platelet Aggregation Inhibitors - adverse effects; Risk; Stents - adverse effects
• ISSN: 1522-1946; 1522-726X
• DOI: 10.1002/ccd.1067

Consecutive cardiac catheterization procedures done over a 2‐yr period (April 1996 to March 1998) were prospectively analyzed to determine and characterize procedure‐related complications (in‐hospital and 1‐mo follow‐up), as they occur at present. During the study period, 11,821 procedures (7,953 diagnostic and 3,868 therapeutic) were performed. The majority of procedures (> 60%) were done in high‐risk patients. Stents were implanted in 33% of patients, and adjunctive abciximab was used in 6.6% of therapeutic procedures. The overall complication rate was 8% (3.6% of diagnostic procedures and 15.1% of therapeutic procedures). The procedure‐related mortality rates were 0.2%, 0.1%, and 0.5% for total, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures, respectively. Cardiac complications were seen in 3.9% (1.5% of diagnostic and 9% of therapeutic procedures). Emergency cardiac surgery was required in 0.05% of the diagnostic procedure group and 0.3% of the therapeutic procedure group (total, 0.1%). Despite marked changes in patient population and practice, the complication rates of cardiac catheterization remain very low. Cathet Cardiovasc Intervent 2001;52:289–295. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.