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Outpatient transfemoral angiography with a two-hour observation period
S F Millward1, J I Marsh, R A Peterson
1Department of Radiological Sciences, Ottawa Civic Hospital, Ontario, Canada.
Abstract:
A study was undertaken to determine whether reducing needle size would reduce the complication rate of outpatient angiography with 4F catheters. One hundred fifty-two patients were randomized. An 18-gauge needle was used in 51, a 20-gauge in 50, and a 21-gauge in 51. Patients were observed for 2 h. No patients deteriorated after discharge. None of the 18-gauge patients developed a hematoma. Four percent of the 20-gauge and 2% of the 21-gauge patients had mild hematomas. This suggests that outpatient angiography using 4F catheters and 2 h of observation is safe. Increased safety with 20 or 21-gauge needles was not confirmed.