title: Numbness after Transradial Cardiac Catheterization: the Results from a Nerve Conduction Study of the Superficial Radial Nerve.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Numbness on the hand occurs infrequently after a transradial cardiac catheterization (TRC). The symptom resembles that of neuropathy. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence, the predicting factors and the presence of neurological abnormalities of numbness, using a nerve conduction study (NCS).
  
  
  METHODS
  From April to December 2013, all patients who underwent a TRC were prospectively enrolled. From among these, the patients who experienced numbness on the ipsilateral hand were instructed to describe their symptoms using a visual analogue scale; subsequently, NCSs were performed on these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the total 479 patients in the study sample, numbness occurred in nine (1.8%) following the procedure. The NCS was performed for eight out of the nine patients, four (50%) of which had an abnormal NCS result at the superficial radial nerve. A larger sheath and history of myocardial infarction (p=0.14 and 0.08 respectively) tended towards the occurrence of numbness; however, only the use of size 7 French sheaths was an independent predictor for the occurrence of numbness (odds ratio: 5.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-28.58, p=0.042). The symptoms disappeared for all patients but one, within four months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A transient injury of the superficial radial nerve could be one reason for numbness after a TRC. A large sheath size was an independent predictor of numbness; therefore, large sized sheaths should be used with caution when performing a TRC.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Ho-Jun
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Inje University Seoul Paik Hospital, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji-Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jae Deok
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hyun Jong
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Je Sang
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Jin Sik
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Rak Kyeong
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Young Jin
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Won-Heum
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Inha University Hospital, Incheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Sejong General Hospital, Bucheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Tae-Hoon
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: Cardiac catheterization; Numbness; Radial neuropathy; Superficial radial nerve lesion