[Feasibility and safety of right heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography through the antebrachium veins].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the feasibility and safety of right heart catheterization through the antebrachium veins.


METHODS
A total of 68 consecutive patients suspected with pulmonary vascular diseases underwent standard right heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography through the antebrachium veins were enrolled in this multicenter, cross-sectional study.


RESULTS
The rate of successfully inserting the sheath into antebrachium veins was as high as 97.1% (66/68) and the rate of successfully performing right heart catheterization or pulmonary angiography through vascular access of antebrachium veins was 91.2% (62/68). The reasons of unsuccessful inserting the catheter to the right heart were due to the abnormality of antebrachium veins (2 cases) or stenosis of subclavian vein (3 cases) or unsatisfactory engorging of antebrachium veins since the history of drug injection (1 case). Haemorrhage of branch of axillary vein was the only adverse event occurred in one patient.


CONCLUSIONS
It is a safe, convenient and well-tolerant option to perform right heart catheterization and pulmonary angiography through the vascular access of antebrachium veins.
Jing
Zhi-Cheng
ZC
Department of Pulmonary Circulation, Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai 200433, China. jingzhicheng@gmail.com
Xu
Xi-Qi
XQ
Jiang
Xin
X
Sun
Ming-Li
ML
Wang
Zhi-Xing
ZX
Wang
Yong
Y
Pan
Lei
L
Zhang
Jin-Hu
JH
D000328:Adult; D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005542:Forearm / Q000098:blood supply; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014680:Veins; D055815:Young Adult