Biomarker-based prediction of radial artery occlusion after cardiac catheterization

Thrombotic occlusion of the radial artery is the most frequent complication of transradial angiography. This study sought to investigate biomarker-based predictors of radial artery occlusion (RAO) after coronary angiography (CAG) and/or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Consecutive patients who underwent cardiac catheterization through radial artery route for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes were included in the study retrospectively. The clinical, laboratory, and angiographic data were obtained from hospital records. All patients were invited for a follow-up visit one week after discharge and radial artery pulse examination was performed. The patients with reduced or absent radial artery pulse or complaints related with the radial artery intervention site at follow-up visit were examined by a radiologist with superficial Doppler ultrasonography. The patients were categorized according to the patency of the radial artery and there were 46 patients with an occluded radial artery and 204 patients with a patent radial artery after CAG and/or PCI. Platelet count was higher in the occluded artery group than in the patent radial artery group. Creatinine level was lower and estimated glomerular filtration rate (e-GFR) was higher in the occluded radial artery group compared to the patent radial artery group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that platelet count (OR: 1.010, 95%CI: 1.001-1.018, P=0.031) and creatinine (OR:0.030, 95%CI: 0.001-0.821, P=0.038), but not e-GFR (OR: 1.031, 95%CI: 0.991-1.073, P=0.128) were independently associated with RAO. Platelet count and creatinine were found to be independent predictors of RAO after transradial cardiac catheterization.