Aspirin and systemic heparinization in diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology

To decrease the risk of iatrogenic thromboembolic complications during interventional procedures with coaxial catheter systems, aspirin and systemic heparinization were used in 57 consecutive cases. No thromboembolic complications occurred. This group was compared with a second group of 25 patients who also had interventional procedures with coaxial systems but who had only a continuous heparinized drip infusion flushing the inside of the coaxial system. Two patients had an embolic complication and two others had thrombus formation inside or outside the catheters without neurologic symptoms. The use of systemic heparinization has been extended to all prolonged angiographic procedures except in cases of acute or recent subarachnoid hemorrhage.