title: Comparison of radiation dose and the effect of operator experience in femoral and radial arterial access for coronary procedures.
abstract: Radial access coronary procedures are associated with fewer access site complications compared to femoral access. There is controversy regarding greater radiation exposure to patient and operator using radial access. We aimed to compare radiation dose during coronary procedures for the 2 access routes and assess the effect of operator experience with radial access on radiation dose. Fluoroscopy time (FT) and dose-area product (DAP) were recorded for all radial access and femoral access procedures during default femoral access, transition phase (femoral access and early radial access), and default radial access. Femoral access cases (n = 848, 412 diagnostic, 436 percutaneous coronary interventions [PCIs]) and radial access cases (n = 965, 459 diagnostic, 506 PCIs) were assessed. For diagnostics, median FT for radial access was longer than for femoral access (4.43 minutes, interquartile range [IQR] 2.55 to 8.18, vs 2.34 minutes, IQR 1.49 to 4.18, p <0.001) and associated with larger DAP (radial access 1,837 μGy·m(2), IQR 1,172 to 2,783, vs femoral access 1,657 μGy·m(2), IQR 1,064 to 2,376, p <0.001). For PCI, FT was longer for radial access (median 12.02 minutes, IQR 7.57 to 17.54, vs femoral access 9.36 minutes, IQR 6.13 to 14.27, p <0.001)-this did not translate into an increased DAP (femoral access median 3,392 μGy·m(2), IQR 2,139 to 5,193, vs radial access 3,682 μGy·m(2), IQR 2,388 to 5,314, p = NS). For diagnostic radial access, FT decreased from the transition phase (n = 134) to the default radial access phase (n = 323, 5.12 minutes, IQR 3.07 to 9.40, vs 4.21 minutes, IQR 2.49 to 7.52, p = 0.03). This was not observed for PCI. In conclusion, transition from femoral access to radial access for diagnostics and PCI increased FT. DAP increased for diagnostic radial access but not PCI compared with femoral access. FTs for radial access diagnostic cases decreased with experience.
authors.affiliation: Belfast City Hospital, Cardiology Centre, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. johanneneill@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Neill
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Douglas
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.forename: Eng-Wooi
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Chew
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: Colm
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hanratty
authors.forename: Niall
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Herity
mesh_terms: D015906:Angioplasty, Balloon, Coronary / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017534:Radial Artery; D011829:Radiation Dosage