title: Radiation exposure: comparison of rapid exchange and conventional over-the-wire coronary angioplasty systems.
abstract: The growth of coronary angioplasty has resulted in increased fluoroscopy time to patients, staff, and physicians. Rapid exchange-type catheters have purported to reduce fluoroscopy time and procedure time compared to conventional over-the-wire systems. Of 150 consecutive patients, 54 were treated solely with rapid-exchange catheters and 84 were treated solely with over-the-wire catheters. Excluding 12 cases treated with fixed wire or combination catheters, the following data were found: [table: see text] Overall procedural success was obtained in 98.5% (136/138) of patients, 1.5% (2) requiring emergency coronary artery bypass graft surgery. A significant 35% reduction in fluoroscopy time and 13% reduction in procedure time were found when rapid-exchange catheters were used, with identical success rates, number of balloons used per case, and complication rates compared to over-the-wire catheters. Rapid-exchange catheters should be considered as part of an overall effort to reduce radiation exposure in the interventional cardiology laboratory.
authors.affiliation: Northside Cardiology, P.C., St. Vincent Hospital, Indianapolis, Indiana 46260.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Linnemeier
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: McCallister
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Klette
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rothbaum
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Ball
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Landin
authors.forename: Z I
authors.initials: ZI
authors.lastname: Hodes
authors.forename: R V
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Riddell
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005260:Female; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011835:Radiation Protection; D015642:Radiology, Interventional; D013997:Time Factors