Transradial approach in myocardial infarction

Objective This study investigates the feasibility, effi cacy, and safety of routine primary percutaneous coronary intervention via transradial approach in patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction.Methods and results From 2005 to 2007, 122 consecutive patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction within 12 hours, including those experiencing cardiogenic shock, were eligible for primary transradial PCI if the radial artery pulse could be felt. Effi cacy, safety, and major adverse cardiac events regarding mortality, recurrent non-fatal myocardial infarction, and revascularization were recorded. Eighty-fi ve of 122 patients underwent transradial PCI, and 37 had transfemoral PCI. Older women, haemodynamic instability, and the presence of severe chronic kidney disease (stages 4 and 5) or end-stage renal disease were signifi cantly related to choice of transfemoral approach (P < 0.05). Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors were used more often in patients who underwent transradial PCI than in t...