BALTIMORE, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — As interventional
cardiologists increasingly perform angiography or angioplasty and
stent procedures via radial (wrist) access versus femoral (groin or
upper leg) access, it will be imperative to develop training and
competency guidelines, according to the first report from the
Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Intervention’s (SCAI)
Transradial Working Group released today at the SCAI 2011
Scientific Sessions and published in Catheterization and
Cardiovascular Interventions. The report reviews issues such as
patient selection and preparation, artery access, catheter and
therapy selection, primary PCI, potential complications and
training for intervention cardiologists performing procedures via
radial access.
Radial access is quite common around the world, though it still
remains relatively unused in the United States. Recent research,
including the RIVAL Trial presented at the 2011 American College of
Cardiology (ACC) 60th Annual Scientific Sessions, has shown radial
access is a safe and effective technique, can increase survival for
heart attack patients, and is often preferred by patients over
femoral access. However, published guidelines for the procedure and
training are not yet available.
“Data increasingly show that the radial technique, which many
patients find more comfortable, is also safe and effective,” said
Ronald P. Caputo, M.D., FSCAI, the report’s lead author and
Director of Cardiac Services, St. Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse,
NY. “As this technique is used more frequently in the United
States, we want to ensure it is used safely and appropriately.”
The report recommends training focused on three levels of
competency based on the individual interventional cardiologist’s
level of experience with simple and complex cases, including
patients with challenging anatomy. The authors emphasize that
interventional cardiology trainees should develop equal competency
in both fe
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