Cardiac complications of intravenous digital subtraction angiography

In a prospective study of 103 patients the incidence of cardiac events during intravenous digital subtraction angiography (i. v. DSA) was investigated. Of 103 patients 17 had known ischaemic heart disease. The examination was performed with an ionic contrast medium, Urografin 76% (sodium megluminediatrizoate), administered by bolus injection into the right atrium. Patients with severe cardiac disease were examined only if the procedure was considered of vital importance. Cardiac events were defined as ST-segment changes of more than 0.1 mV, changes in heart rate of more than 20%, arrhythmias and such symptoms as chest pain and dyspnoea. Ischaemic ST-segment changes during i. v. DSA were observed in approximately 20% of the patients and were not related to the presence of known ischaemic heart disease. Three patients developed angina during the procedure. Among 12 patients with known angina only one patient developed angina during the procedure. In this study chest pain was infrequent (3%), but there was a relative high frequency of ECG changes (20%) not related to patients with ischaemic heart disease only. It is concluded that there is a risk of cardiac events during i. v. DSA, but the risk is not increased in patients with known ischaemic heart disease (if they do not suffer from congestive heart failure) as compared with other patients without known ischaemic heart disease.