Vasoreactivity of the radial artery after transradial catheterization

The vasomotor response was used to assess the degree of radial artery injury after transradial catheterization. Vasoreactivity was studied by ultrasound before catheterization, 24 hours after, at 1 week and at 1 month in 18 patients. Mean radial artery diameter increased from 2.56+/-0.45 mm before catheterization to 2.86+/-0.48 mm at 24 hours (p=0.001) and returned to baseline values at 1-month (2.60+/-0.27 mm; p=0.95). Hyperemia-induced vasodilation did not change significantly (2.7+/-4.7% at baseline; 3.4+/-3.7% at 24 hours, 3.5+/-3.9% at 1 week and 4.8+/-4.7% at 1 month; p=0.59). Nitroglycerin-induced vasodilation was significantly attenuated at 24 hours (from 14.1+/-7.9% at baseline to 6.5+/-8.4% at 24 hours; p=0.01), but improved after 1 week (9.8+/-8.5%; p=0.1, compared to baseline) and after 1 month (13.0+/-8.9%; p=0.51, compared to baseline). Thus, soon after transradial catheterization vasoreactivity is impaired, but generally recovers as early as 1 month after the procedure.