[Ambulant transbrachial 4-French arteriography with particular reference to the aortofemoral vascular system]

Arteriograms were carried out on 176 patients using 4-F catheters through a transbrachial approach. Criteria for exclusion from the series were injuries to the upper limb, hemiparesis or poor pulses in the presence of a normal femoral pulse. There were no local vascular complications requiring treatment. On two occasions the brachial artery could not be punctured. Acute posterior cerebral infarction was the only serious complication (0.5%). 67% of the patients were examined on an outpatient basis and this did not appear to increase the risk of complication. We regard this as a suitable method for demonstrating the pelvic and lower limb arteries on ambulant patients.