Early ambulation following 6 French diagnostic left heart catheterization: A prospective randomized trial

✍ Scribed by Wood, Raymond A. ;Lewis, Barry K. ;Harber, Daniel R. ;Kovack, Paul J. ;Bates, Eric R. ;Stomel, Robert J.

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1997
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 23 KB
• Volume: 42
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0098-6569
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0304(199709)42:1<8::aid-ccd3>3.0.co;2-8

✦ Synopsis

Outpatient cardiac catheterization is frequently performed, but the optimal recovery time after sheath removal has not been defined. Left heart catheterization was performed via the femoral artery utilizing 6 French catheters on 323 outpatients. One hundred thirty-five patients were randomized to ambulate at a mean of 2.5 hr (group 1) after puncture site compression, whereas 188 patients were randomized to ambulate at a mean of 4.1 hr (group 2). Telephone follow-up occurred within 48 hr. A small hematoma (F5 cm) occurred in 2 (1.6%) patients in group 1 and in 4 (2.4%) patients in group 2. These results indicate that it is safe to ambulate patients 2.5 hr following 6 French diagnostic heart catheterization.