RISK OF HEMATOMA AFTER FEMORAL ARTERY PUNCTURES IN PATIENTS UNDERGOING DIAGNOSTIC OR INTERVENTIONAL ANGIOGRAPHY

Corre s ponde nce : Mr. Amin Rajani Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, Stadium Road, P.O. Box 3500, Karachi 74800 Pakistan. Tel. No: 34930051 Ext. 2020 E-mail: rajani.amin@aku.edu Patients who were disoriented and unable to follow the instructions or in whom arterial closure devices were used were excluded from the study. Predisposing conditions like poorly controlled diabetes, uncontrolled hypertension, significant renal insufficiency, CLD, uremia and irreversible coagulopathy were also considered during evaluation. The referred patients were either admitted or procedure performed as outpatient. They were assessed by radiology fellow or consultant to confirm that they were suitable to proceed with angiography. This assessment included checking for any recent clinical deterioration, a routine check of vital signs, and ensuring that no renal insufficiency or any othercoagulopathy related disorders which was corrected when possible. Informed consent was obtained by the radiologist in the angiography suite. Procedures were performed on Siemens Axiom Artis with road mapping capabilities. The procedures were performed by interventional radiologists with experience ranging from 3 to 20 years. Fellows and residents in interventional radiology also performed some of the procedures under the direct supervision of a radiologist. Lignocaine 2% local anesthetic was used at the intended puncture site (predominately the groin). In general, 4-French catheters were used for diagnostic studies, and 6-8 French catheters for therapeutic neurointervention. 5 to 8 French sheaths were used for the procedures. If interventions like angioplasty,stent insertion or neurointervention was performed, heparin was givenintra-arterially at doses of 2,500–5,000 U per patient. The standard Seldinger technique was used to introduce the catheter over a guidewire. ECG, Introduction