Determinants of prolonged length of hospital stay after coronary bypass surgery

The length of hospital stay after coronary surgery was studied in 4,683 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization followed by coronary surgery at Emory University Hospital or Crawford Long Hospital between the years 1981 and 1986. Length of stay after coronary surgery had a median and modal value of 7 days. There was, however, a long statistical tail of patients with a prolonged length of stay extending out to more than 180 days. Prolonged length of stay (greater than 10 days) could be correlated with preprocedural variables such as age, elective versus emergency status, angina class, ejection fraction, and gender. Length of stay increased from a mean of 6.9 +/- 1.4 days under the age of 40 years to 10.9 +/- 12.1 days over the age of 70 years (p less than 0.0001). Length of stay was correlated with the periprocedural variables of wound infection, neurologic event, arrhythmias, pneumonia, postoperative myocardial infarction, mortality, and pericarditis. Length of stay increased from 8.8 +/- 9.6 days without a neurologic event to 21.1 +/- 17.9 days with a neurologic event (p less than 0.0001). Similarly, without a wound infection, the average stay was 8.7 +/- 8.9 days; with a wound infection, the average stay was 32.2 +/- 25.8 days (p less than 0.0001). The correlates of prolonged stay were tested in another population comprising 781 patients undergoing cardiac catheterization followed by coronary artery bypass grafting in 1987. The predictors of prolonged stay in the 1987 population were wound infection, pneumonia, arrhythmias, age, neurologic events, postoperative infarction, and ejection fraction. Thus, length of hospital stay after coronary surgery may be predicted by multiple preprocedural and periprocedural variables.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Outpatient coronary angiography with 4 French catheters

The early 4 French (Fr), pre-formed, Judkins coronary catheters had unsatisfactory maneuverability due to reduced torque stability. Technical innovations have led to improved 4 Fr catheters. This prospective study evaluates the safety and feasibility of the 4 Fr Quick Care Infinity catheter (Cordis, Miami, Florida). Within a series of 2,366 patients investigated for suspected coronary artery disease, 302 were selected for outpatient treatment according to the guidelines for outpatient catheterization. Fluoroscopy time was 2.8 +/- 2.5 minutes. It was not necessary to change to larger catheters in any patient. After sheath removal, hemostasis was achieved within 14 +/- 8 minutes. Strict bed rest lasted 181 +/- 65 minutes; patients were discharged 303 +/- 76 minutes after arterial puncture. Sixteen of the 302 patients (5.3%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.1-7.9%) changed to inpatient treatment for reasons unrelated to the arterial access. Eight patients (2.6%; CI: 1.1-5.1%) required one night of hospitalization for control of hematoma. The following morning, vessel murmur, pain, and large hematoma (more than 10 cm diameter) occurred in 1 (0.3%), 6 (2.0%), and 6 (2.0%) patients, respectively. This necessitated hospital admission in 2 patients (0.7%; CI: 0.0-2.3%) for up to 2 days. Major entry site complications requiring blood transfusion or surgery did not occur (CI: 0.0-0.3%). It was concluded that outpatient catheterization for coronary artery disease using the new 4 French catheters is feasible and can be rapidly and safely performed in a selected patient population.     

308例经桡动脉途径冠状动脉造影的临床分析

目的 :探讨用Judkins导管经桡动脉途径行冠状动脉造影术的可行性和方法学。方法 :30 8例 ,男性 2 35例 ,女性 73例 ,平均年龄 (6 1 8± 8 7)岁。临床诊断 :稳定性心绞痛 10 5例 (34 1% ) ,不稳定性心绞痛 6 2例 (2 0 1% ) ,急性心肌梗塞 75例 (2 4 4 % ) ,其它 6 6例 (2 1 4 % )。手术过程 :1 Allen试验 ;2 桡动脉穿刺 ;3 用Judkins导管行选择性右冠和左冠造影。结果 :2 95例造影获得成功 ,成功率为95 8%。造影结果 :74例 (2 5 1% )冠脉正常 ,73例 (2 4 75 % )单支病变 ,73例 (2 4 75 % )双支病变 ,75例(2 5 4 % )三支病变。导管选择 :1.右冠造影 :2 95例中 ,2 85例 (96 6 % )用Judkins右冠导管 ,9例 (3 0 6 % )用Amplatz右冠导管 ,1例 (0 34% )用Voda右冠导管 ;2 左冠造影 :2 5 6例 (86 8% )用Judkins左冠导管 ,31例 (10 5 % )用Amplatz左冠导管 ,8例 (2 7% )用Voda左冠导管。结论 :用Judkins导管经桡动脉途径行冠状动脉造影是一种安全可行的选择 ;经皮穿刺桡动脉途径具有止血容易、术后无须卧床休息、病人痛苦小和并发症少等优点。     

Experience with preformed catheters for coronary angiography by the brachial approach.

Experience with a simplified technique for selective coronary angiography by the brachial cutdown approach using preformed coronary catheters in over 500 cases is described. This technique has facilitated selective catheterization of the coronary arteries in patients where use of the Sones catheter has proven difficult or impossible. Particularly, coronary arteries in patients with a dilated aortic root, high-rising left coronary artery or tortuous subclavian artery are easily catheterized with the preformed catheters described in this report. Shortened procedure time, an acceptable morbidity (1.4%) and mortality (0.2%), and improved coronary opacification by virtue of the ease in selectively entering the coronary ostia make these preformed catheters a useful modification to coronary angiography by the transbrachial approach.     

Experience with Four French catheters for outpatient coronary angiography

Previous studies have demonstrated the efficacy and safety of outpatient cardiac catheterization on stable patients at low risk. We present our experience with four French catheters in 104 patients (72 male, 32 female, mean age 51 years old) with coronary angiography done as an outpatient procedure. No heparin was given during the procedure. After initial hemostasis had been attained, the patients returned to day center with vital signs monitored regularly. Patients were allowed ambulation after 4 hours' bed rest and were discharged the same afternoon. Normal coronary angiogram study was found in 76% of the study population. Single-vessel disease, double-vessel disease, triple-vessel disease, and left-main disease were found in 12%, 9.6%, 2%, and 1%, respectively. Nearly all of the patients demonstrated normal ventricular contraction (99%). Average procedural time was 20.2±4.4 minutes. Average hemostatic time was 8.4±3.1 minutes. No mortality directly attributed to the catheterization occurred in our study population. Moreover, there were no myocardial infarction, acute pulmonary edema, severe allergic reaction, and cerebrovascular accident. Femoral puncture site complication was only limited to superficial skin bruise. Quality of the cineangiogram was good in majority of the patients. Therefore, this study demonstrates that outpatient cardiac catheterization using four French Judkins catheter is a safe and cost-effective procedure.     

Determinants of the length of stay in intensive care and in hospital after coronary artery surgery.

BACKGROUND--Patients who have coronary artery surgery normally occupy intensive care beds for less than 24 hours. Longer stays may result in under use of cardiac surgical capacity. One approach to optimise surgical throughput is prospectively to identify fast track patients--that is, those who occupy an intensive care bed for less than 24 hours. A prospective audit of patients was performed to identify fast track patients by simple clinical criteria. Total length of hospital stay was also assessed in an attempt to predict which patients were likely to have a short postoperative stay, defined as < or = 7 days. METHODS--Baseline demographic details, cardiovascular risk factors, angiographic and operative details were recorded for 431 consecutive patients who underwent coronary surgery at a regional centre over a nine month period. Outcome measures were the duration of the stay in the intensive care unit in hours and total duration of the postoperative stay in hospital in days. In addition, two groups of patients who were thought to be fast track were identified prospectively. Fast track 1 patients were identified by criteria selected by cardiovascular physicians. These were age less than 60 years, stable angina, good left ventricular function (ejection fraction > 50%), good renal function (serum creatinine < 120 mumol/l), and no obesity, diabetes, or other serious disease. Fast track 2 patients were identified by criteria defined by cardiovascular surgeons. These were male sex, age less than 65 years, good left ventricular function and no peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, or other serious disease. The efficacy of both sets of criteria in predicting outcome was tested. RESULTS--344 (79.8%) patients were fast track. Significant factors for the prediction of fast track patients by univariate analysis (with positive predictive accuracy and sensitivity) were left ventricular ejection fraction > 50% (83%, 80%), left ventricular end diastolic pressure < 13 mm Hg (90%, 59%), creatinine less than 120 mumol/l (83%, 87%), and one or two vessel coronary disease (89%, 34%). Of the patients categorised as fast track 1 89% proved to be fast track (sensitivity 24%), however, the fast track 2 characteristics were not significant. Age, sex, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, a history of obstructive pulmonary disease and unstable angina were not predictive of the duration of intensive care stay. Multivariate analysis indicated that only left ventricular end diastolic pressure and the number of diseased coronary arteries predicted fast track patients. These criteria separated patients into three groups. Those who were good risk had one or two vessel disease and left ventricular end diastolic pressure < 13 mm Hg. They comprised 19% of the total and 93% of them were fast track. Those who were intermediate risk had either three vessel disease or left ventricular end diastolic pressure > 13 mm Hg but not both. They comprised 49% of the total and 85% of them were fast track. Those who were poor risk had both three vessel disease and left ventricular end diastolic pressure > 13 mm Hg. They comprised 32% of the total and 62% of them were fast track. The 106 (24%) patients who spent < or = 7 days in hospital after surgery were significantly younger (mean (SD) 55(8) v 58(8) years; P < 0.001) with a lower incidence of previous myocardial infarction (positive predictive accuracy 30%, sensitivity 53%), were less likely to have a history of obstructive pulmonary disease (25%, 98%), and more likely to have one or two vessel coronary disease (33%, 41%). They were more likely to have an internal mammary artery as a bypass conduit (27%, 89%) and more likely to need fewer than three distal anastomoses of the vein graft (29%, 63%). By multivariate analysis only age was significantly predictive of hospital stay. Total hospital stay could not be satisfactorily modelled on the basis of the criteria tested here. Sex, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, unstable angina, renal function, and left ventricular function were not associated with hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS-Most patients who had coronary artery surgery spent less than or equal to 24 hours in intensive care, but most spent > 7 days in hospital. The chance of a patient spending less than or equal to 24 hours in intensive care could be predicted by the number of coronary arteries diseased and the left ventricular end diastolic pressure. Poor risks patients (32%) had only a 62% chance of an intensive care unit stay of less than or equal to 24 hours. A policy of scheduling no more than one such patient for surgery per day would be simple to institute and would maximise the use of surgical capacity.     

Factors influencing the length of hospital stay of patients with heart failure

INTRODUCTION: Heart failure (HF) is characterised by frequent hospital admissions and prolonged length of hospital stay. Admissions for HF have increased over the last decade while length of stay has decreased; the reasons for this change in length of stay are uncertain. This study investigates the effect of patient-related variables, in-hospital progress and complications on length of stay. METHODS: Patients admitted to Auckland Hospital general medical service and randomised into the Auckland Heart Failure Management Programme were included in this study. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-seven patients were included in this study. Mean age 73 years, mean left ventricular ejection fraction 32%; 52% had one or more previous HF admissions and 75% were New York Heart Association class IV at admission. Median length of hospital stay was 6 days (IQR 4, 9) which is comparable to the national average from New Zealand admission databases. Longer than average length of stay, defined as >6 days, was associated with the presence of peripheral congestion, duration of treatment with intravenous diuretic, the development of renal impairment, other acute medical problems at admission, iatrogenic complications during hospital stay, and social problems requiring intervention. Factors independently associated with length of stay in the top quartile (>10 days) on logistic regression included the presence of oedema at admission (OR 10.5), change in weight during stay (OR 1.3), duration of treatment with iv diuretic (OR 7.5), the development of renal impairment (OR 9.8), concurrent respiratory problems requiring specific treatment (OR 3.8), and social problems requiring intervention (OR 6.8). CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral congestion, concomitant acute medical problems requiring specific treatment, the development of renal impairment and the presence of social problems were related to a longer than average length of hospital stay. Multivariate models only partly explained variance in hospital stay, suggesting the importance of pre-admission and post-discharge factors, including the healthcare environment, the availability of primary and secondary care resources, and the threshold for hospital admission.     

Comorbidities and prediction of length of hospital stay

Background : Variability in length of stay (LOS) within Australian National Diagnosis Related Groups (AN-DRGs) reflects clinical heterogeneity in age, severity of illness, complications and comorbidities.
Aim : To develop a clinically based score which measures patient morbidity and which will better predict LOS compared to existing methods.
Methods : ICD-9-CM codes of diseases and procedures were allocated to one of 23 body system categories to calculate the body burden of disease (BBD) score. Evaluation of BBD in predicting LOS was performed using multiple regression and analysis of variance with a data set of 34,079 cases from 75 AN-DRGs from three Victorian hospitals.
Results : Adding BBD and age improved prediction of LOS by 27.2% in AN-DRG version 1.0 and by 17.5% in AN-DRG version 3.1. When using average inlier LOS for AN-DRG, BBD and age improved prediction of LOS by 44.6% and by 14.8% in AN-DRG version 1.0 and version 3.1 respectively. Deaths were positively related to BBD.
Conclusions : BBD is a simple quantitative measure of extent of disease that improves current methods in accounting for variability in LOS.     

Defining the length of stay following percutaneous coronary intervention

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the most common method of coronary revascularization. Over time, as operator skills and technical advances have improved procedural outcomes, the length of stay (LOS) has decreased. However, standardization in the definition of LOS following PCI has been challenging due to significant physician, procedural, and patient variables. Given the increased focus on both patient safety as well as the cost of medical care, system process issues are a concern and provide a driving force for standardization while simultaneously maintaining the quality of patient care. This document: (1) provides a summary of the existing published data on same‐day patient discharge following PCI, (2) reviews studies that developed methods to predict risk following PCI, and (3) provides clarification of the terms used to define care settings following PCI. In addition, a decision matrix is proposed for the care of patients following PCI. It is intended to provide both the interventional cardiologist as well as the facilities, in which they are associated, a guide to allow for the appropriate LOS for the appropriate patient who could be considered for early discharge or outpatient intervention. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Factors influencing length of hospital stay in patients with bacterial pleural effusion

BACKGROUND: Factors influencing length of hospital stay have been poorly analyzed in parapneumonic pleural effusions (PPE). OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work is to identify the variables that determine increased hospital stay in patients with infectious pleural effusion (PE). PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed 112 patients with PE: empyema, complicated parapneumonic and non-complicated parapneumonic. Epidemiologic, biochemical, therapeutic and radiological variables were analyzed. Correlations with hospital stay were studied using the Student's t test, analysis of variance, Mann-Whitney U-test and linear regression model. RESULTS: Among the 112 patients studied, there were 32 empyema, 50 complicated and 30 non-complicated parapneumonic cases. The median of length stay for all patients was 17 days. Longer hospitalization was required in patients with empyemic PE (p = 0.015), patients with underlying diseases (p = 0.003), those needing pleural drainage (p = 0.005) or decortication (p = 0.043) and those presenting unfavorable radiological outcome after treatment (p = 0.02). Biochemical parameters associated with longer hospital stay were elevated pleural fluid polymorphonuclear elastase (p = 0.001, r = 0.307) and lactate dehydrogenase (p = 0.001, r = 0.312). After linear regression analysis, only underlying disease, pleural drainage and pleural fluid polymorphonuclear elastase values remained in the model, explaining 23.1% of the variability of days of hospitalization. CONCLUSIONS: The patients with PPE and empyema who required longer hospitalization were those with purulent fluid, underlying disease, surgical drainage and/or decortication, with unfavorable radiological outcome and higher pleural fluid levels of lactate dehydrogenase and polymorphonuclear elastase.     

Factors associated with length of stay in hospital for suspected community-acquired pneumonia

OBJECTIVE:

To determine factors associated with the length of stay (LOS) for patients with suspected community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) who required hospitalization for treatment.

STUDY DESIGN:

The authors studied a population-based prospective cohort of 2757 adults with suspected CAP who were admitted over a two-year period. Logistic regression, multiple linear regression, and classification and regression trees were used to determine the factors associated with LOS.

SETTING:

The study was conducted in two community and tertiary care hospitals, two community and secondary care hospitals, and two community hospitals in the Capital Health Region of Edmonton, Alberta.

RESULTS:

Symptoms such as sweats, shaking chills and wheezing were associated with an LOS of seven days or shorter, whereas weight loss, functional impairment, heart, renal or neoplastic diseases and time to first dose of antibiotic were predictive of an LOS greater than seven days. Regression tree analysis indicated that rapid achievement of physiological stability was associated with a shorter LOS. The use of an indwelling urinary catheter was found to be an important determinant of LOS.

CONCLUSIONS:

The present study found several new associations with increased LOS in patients with CAP, including functional status, time to receipt of first dose of antibiotic therapy, use of certain antibiotics, presence of a urinary catheter and the importance of time to physiological stability. An intervention targeting avoidance of urinary catheters may be associated with a shorter LOS.     

Reducing hospital inpatient length of stay for patients with diabetes.

AIMS: To ascertain the effect of routine review by a diabetes nurse advisor on length of stay for medical and surgical inpatients with diabetes. METHODS: Inpatients with diabetes were identified prospectively from January 1997 until December 1998 (792 in 1997 and 819 in 1998). A new post of diabetes nurse advisor was introduced in January 1998 to optimize diabetes management. Length of stay was calculated retrospectively from hospital computer records. RESULTS: Median length of stay in 1997 was 11 days in medicine and 8 days in surgery. In 1998, the nurse advisor made 1936 visits to 819 patients; median length of stay fell to 8 days in medicine and 5 days in surgery (P < 0.001). Bed occupancy by patients with diabetes fell from 6.8 to 4.0%. Mean length of stay across the hospital remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of a ward-based diabetes nurse advisor was associated with significant reductions in length of stay in inpatients with diabetes. Since this study was not a randomized study, other factors may have contributed to this change. However, the consistency of the reduction across specialities suggests the post itself had an important effect.     

Clinical evaluation of soft-tipped catheters for coronary angiography

New soft-tipped Judkins catheters for coronary angiography were compared with conventional femoral catheters for coronary angiography in a randomized, controlled fashion with cross-over exchange of catheters when problems occurred. The problems encountered with a first generation of soft-tipped catheters (n = 113) versus conventional catheters (n = 103) were as follows: difficult introduction 27% versus 1% (p < 0.01), difficult placement 13% versus 8% (not significant), difficult aspiration 4% versus 0% (p < 0.05), wedging 5% versus 0% (p <0.05), spasm 3% versus 0% (not significant), overselectivity 7% versus 2% (not significant), cross-over necessary and successful 18% versus 1% (p < 0.01). Problems with a second generation of soft-tipped catheters (n = 200), modified according to the experience gathered from the first generation, versus conventional catheters (n = 194) were as follows: difficult placement 10% versus 7%, difficult aspiration 2% versus 0.5%, wedging 2% versus 1%, spasm 1% versus 0%, overselectivity 3% versus 2%, ventricular fibrillation 1.5% versus 0%, cross-over necessary and successful 3% versus 2%. None of the differences attained statistical significance. The performance of soft-tipped catheters for coronary angiography was inferior for the first generation but comparable for the second generation to that of conventional catheters. In terms of safety, soft-tipped catheters were not superior on the basis of our criteria.     

Randomized evaluation of 5 French catheters for coronary angiography with or without the CO2 powered Hercules syringe

To evaluate the CO2 power-assisted hand-held Hercules syringe (Cordis) for diagnostic coronary angiography using 5 French catheters (Judkins number 4 exclusively), 200 consecutive patients (excluding patients with valve disease and prior bypass surgery) were randomized to conventional manual or Hercules injections. The angiography was done through a femoral artery with or without a sheath. Total duration and fluoroscopy time from the end of the ventriculogram to the end of the procedure, quantity of contrast medium required, length of cinefilm, quality of film (good, satisfactory, or bad), streaming, technical ease [scale 1 (easy) to 6 (difficult)], and need for larger catheters were analyzed. Adequate quality angiograms were obtained in 193 patients (97%). Crossover to a larger catheter was required in 7 patients due to difficulty in engaging coronary ostia (right 6, left 1). No significant differences between manual or Hercules injections were seen in total duration of the procedure (12.0 +/- 4.6 versus 12.9 +/- 8.5 min), fluoroscopy time (4.0 +/- 3.1 versus 4.2 +/- 4.8 min), quantity of contrast medium (81 +/- 28 versus 89 +/- 29 ml), and length of the film (1.1 +/- 0.6 versus 1.3 +/- 0.7 min). The conventional method was found to be easier (facility scale: conventional 1.7 +/- 0.5, Hercules 2.3 +/- 1.2, p less than 0.05) because there was significantly less dislodgement of the catheter from the coronary ostia during contrast injections. Five French number 4 Judkins catheters permit adequate diagnostic coronary angiograms in 97% of routine coronary patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

药物性肝损伤患者住院时间的影响因素分析

目的分析药物性肝损伤(DILI)患者住院时间的影响因素,以期指导临床,缓解住院压力,减轻患者的经济负担。方法收集2012年1月-2014年12月于青岛市市立医院住院的DILI患者临床资料,包括年龄、性别、原发疾病、用药史、血常规、肝功能检查结果、DILI分型、用药以及转归情况。采用Spearman秩相关、Wilcoxon秩和检验和Kruskal-Wallis H秩和检验对不同因素影响下的患者住院时间进行分析。根据单因素分析结果选择有统计学意义的研究变量进入多重线性回归分析。结果共收集191例DILI患者临床资料,其中男114例,女77例,年龄11~84岁,平均(50.83±2.72)岁,平均住院时间为14(4~41)d。患者年龄、ALT/ALP/TBil的最高水平、凝血酶原活动度(PTA)最低水平与住院时间呈正相关(rs值分别为0.388、0.247、0.172、0.487、0.120,P值均0.05);是否有基础肝病史、高血压病史、恶性肿瘤病史、结核病史、甲状腺功能亢进病史、不同可疑致病药物的使用、DILI治疗方法的不同以及不同分型是DILI患者住院时间的影响因素(P值均0.05);多重线性回归分析结果显示,年龄、基础肝病史、恶性肿瘤病史、中药、解热镇痛药物、ALT/ALP/TBil的最高水平、PTA最低水平、DILI的治疗方法和不同分型是影响患者住院时间的独立危险因素(P值均0.05)。结论年龄、基础肝病史、恶性肿瘤病史、中药、解热镇痛药物、ALT/ALP/TBil的最高水平与PTA最低水平、DILI的治疗方法和分型为患者住院时间的影响因素。在临床诊治过程中对住院时间影响因素加以调控,可降低患者住院费用,对减轻医疗卫生负担具有重要作用。     

Perforation of a side branch of the right coronary artery during selective coronary angiography using 5 french judkins catheters

In this case report the first known case of a perforation of a side branch of the right coronary artery during diagnostic coronary angiography using 5 French Judkins catheters is described which occurred by selective intubation. Although catheter placement was controlled by contrast test injection the catheter occasionally intubated the conus artery superselectively just prior to the diagnostic injection. Thus, perforation of small side branches may be encountered especially by the use of 5 French Judkins catheters. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Cognitive impairment and length of hospital stay in older persons

We looked at performance on the Folstein Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) as a predictor of hospitalization and length of stay in the coming year in community-dwelling older persons from the National Institute of Mental Health Epidemiologic Catchment Area program. They had been assessed with the MMSE at the outset and were re-evaluated with the MMSE and a Health Services Questionnaire 1 year later. Subjects were more likely to be hospitalized in the subsequent year if they were older than 75 years or if they scored poorly on the MMSE. Severe cognitive impairment increased the risk more than mild impairment. Multivariate analyses that controlled for demographic variables demonstrate that MMSE performance is a significant predictor of any subsequent hospitalization (medical or psychiatric) among whites and among those at both high and low educational levels. This effect was not explained solely by the increased rate of psychiatric hospitalizations. We also determined that a decline in MMSE score over 1 year was associated with an increased risk of hospitalization, more hospital days, longer average length of stay, and a prolonged (greater than 20 days) hospital stay. We conclude that both initial poor performance on the MMSE and deterioration increase the risk of hospital use and lead to more extended hospital stays. However, even with poor MMSE performance, most older persons remain out of the hospital and most of those hospitalized do not have prolonged stays; thus, MMSE score alone is insufficient as a predictor of impending hospitalization. Further studies are needed to add other measures of risk for hospitalization and prolonged hospital stays.     

Comparison of coronary angiography by the left radial and right femoral approach with 4 French catheters

The radial arterial approach has been shown to be valuable for coronary angioplasty. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of the left radial and right femoral approaches for diagnostic coronary angiography. The authors performed a prospective non-randomised series of consecutive diagnostic coronary angiogrammes with small calibre (4 french) catheters by the left radial (100 patients) and right femoral (100 patients) arteries. The feasibility, results and complications were compared. The study showed that diagnostic coronary angiography with 4 F catheters is feasible with a high success rate, both from the left radial (99%) and right femoral (100%) approaches (NS). The duration of the procedure tends to be longer when the radial approach is used (19.2 +/- 1.3 min) than by the femoral artery (16.3 +/- 1.1 min) (p = 0.06). The duration of irradiation is longer with the radial approach (6.7 +/- 1.2 vs 4.9 +/- 0.9 min) (p = 0.0001). Local complications are minor by either approach (N = 5 vs N = 6 patients; p = NS), and there were no major complications. The tolerance of the procedure was not as good when the radial artery was used (N = 5) compared with the femoral artery (N = 1 patient) because of arterial spasm when the catheters were changed. The authors conclude that the left radial and right femoral arteries can be used routinely for diagnostic coronary angiography with small catheters (4 French). The left radial approach allows immediate mobilisation of the patient but the duration of the procedure and the exposure to irradiation are longer.