[The role of nursing in right heart catheterization. Advantages from peripheral venous access]

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a serious disease that requires early diagnosis to achieve a better patient prognosis. Right heart catheterization (RHC) has become the main diagnostic test for this disease, measuring the pressures from the right heart chambers invasively, using a catheter placed through venous access. Nursing performance has an important role in RHC through peripheral venous access due to its well-done skills for canalization and knowledge about the management and care of these accesses. RHC performed through peripheral venous access provide advantages over those performed through central venous access.

To analyze the benefits from RHC through peripheral venous access compared to those performed through central venous access, as well as highlighting the role of nursing during this type of procedures.

A retrospective, descriptive, and observational study was performed for patients who underwent RHC in our center between January 2019 to January 2023. We analyzed clinical characteristics, access, fluoroscopy parameters, periprocedural complications, and hospital admissions.

A total of 115 patients were included. The average age was 65±12 years, with 58.1% of females. Risk stratification of PH was the reason for conducting RHC in 82.9%. The anterocubital veins became the main approach (72.2%), performed by hemodynamics nurses, while the central venous ones composed the rest (27.8%), which were done by cardiology specialized doctors. We observed a significant reduction in radiation dose in RHC via anterocubital route compared to central venous access (4.4Gycm² vs 12.5Gycm² [IQR: 4.5]; P<.001), and it does also in fluoroscopy times (2.3minutes vs 4.6minutes [IQR: 2.6]; P<.001). No complications were recorded, independently of the approach. Patients who underwent a scheduled catheterization were discharged more frequently on the same day of the procedure whether a peripheral approach was performed (77.2%, 44 of 57 patients), in comparison with the central one (28.6%) (P=.001).

The RHC is an essential tool for the diagnosis of PH, achieving nursing such an important role for those performed by peripheral venous access. Peripheral venous access provides benefits and advantages like the reduction of radiation exposure and scan times, reduced hospital stay. All this could bring greater comfort, safety and better quality of care to the patient.