Arterial access site in the catheterisation lab : Is radial the way to go?

Aim: With radial access increasing in popularity in the United States and the United Kingdom, this literature review explores whether radial access in coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention is superior to femoral access, focusing on access site complications and mortality. Methodology: Articles were acquired using: Pubmed. The keywords used were: bleeding, complications, femoral access, radial access, radial artery catheterization, angiography, radial versus femoral, access site, and mortality. The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) website The National Library of Medicine A retrospective audit, comparing radial access utilisation in Malta for the years 2011 and 2013 (1/1/2013 – 23/8/2013) was carried out using data from the cardiac catheterisation suite in Mater Dei Hospital. Results: Radial access was associated with fewer access site complications, decreased mortality, and quicker patient mobilisation post-procedure. The success of radial access was associated with a learning curve, and heavily operator dependent. Radial access utilisation in Malta for the years 2011 and 2013 (1/1/2013 – 23/8/2013) increased over three fold. Conclusion: The routine use of the radial approach in patients undergoing coronary intervention should be encouraged.peer-reviewe