Radiation Exposure in Coronary Procedures Using the Radial and Femoral Approaches

ABSTRACT Background Although the transradial approach had significantly reduced vascular complications, studies have demonstrated that it may be related to higher radiation exposure. The objective of this study is to compare radiation exposure in invasive cardiologic procedures using the transradial and transfemoral approaches. Methods Prospective cohort study including patients undergoing diagnostic cardiac catheterization or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) between August 2010 and December 2011. Clinical, angiographic and radiation exposure characteristics were recorded in a dedicated database. Patients were analyzed according to the access route: femoral or radial. Results Of the 1,197 patients included in the study, 782 were submitted to procedures using the femoral access and 415 using the radial access. There was a lower prevalence of females (36.2% vs. 45.6%; P Conclusions Patients undergoing invasive cardiologic procedures are exposed to higher radiation levels when the radial access is used. However, experienced operators may neutralize this disadvantage.