title: Can femoral artery pressure monitoring be used routinely in cardiac surgery?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of femoral arterial pressure monitoring in cardiac surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, observational study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cardiac surgery unit (CSU) in a university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Of a total of 2,350 consecutive patients scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, 2,264 patients with femoral artery pressure monitoring were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  A femoral arterial catheter was inserted percutaneously before the induction of anesthesia. The catheter was withdrawn 40 to 96 hours after surgery. It was replaced by a radial artery catheter in patients staying for more than 4 days in the CSU or in case of pulse loss or lower limb ischemia. The catheter was removed and sent for cultures whenever it showed local changes, discharge, or if sepsis was suspected.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pain on insertion ranged from 0 to 20 mm on the 100-mm visual analog scale. Complications related to femoral artery cannulation were recorded. No cases of femoral artery thrombosis, lower extremity ischemia, or hematoma requiring surgery were noted. Small hematomas were observed in 3.3% of patients. The incidence of oozing was 2.1% after the insertion of the catheter and 4.9% after its removal. Three cases (0.13%) of serious bleeding occurred; 2 required surgery. Eight percent of catheter tips were sent for culture, and positive bacterial growth was recorded in 18.6% of them. Catheter-related blood stream infection occurred in 0.5% of the total patient population included.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Femoral artery pressure monitoring was associated with a low complication rate and, therefore, it can be used routinely in cardiac surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hotel Dieu de France Hospital, Beirut, Lebanon. fflhlb@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Fadia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.forename: Carine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeeni
authors.forename: Issam
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: El Rassi
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yazigi
authors.forename: Samia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Madi-Jebara
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hayeck
authors.forename: Victor
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jebara
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yazbeck
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D015924:Blood Pressure Monitors; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies