COMPLICATIONS AFTER DIAGNOSTIC CARDIAC-CA THETERIZATION OR BALLOON DILATATION

All major complications within four weeks after diagnostic cardiac cat heterization (DCCA; n = 4,778) or percutaneous transluminal coronary a ngioplasty (PTCA; n = 3,073) were analysed prospectively in 7,851 pati ents (5,769 men, 2,082 women; mean age 59.4 [16-88] years). There were 116 such complications in 114 patients, 46 (0.9%) after DCCA, 70 (2.3 %) after PTCA. 76% of all complications occurred during the first two days after the procedure: bleeding in 29 patients, false aneurysms in 15, arteria) occlusions in 12, venous ones in three, cerebral ischaemi a in 12, fulminant pulmonary emboli in three, cardiac complications in 27, and others in 15. There were five deaths in connection with a DCC A, 18 with PTCA. Complications were twice as common in women as in men (DCCA: 1.5% vs 0.7%, P < 0.05; PTCA: 4.2% vs 1.7%, P < 0.001). Compli cations after DCCA were more frequent in those aged over 55 years (1.2 % vs 0.3%, P < 0.05); after PTCA they were more frequent in those aged over 65 years (4.1% vs 1.3%, P < 0.05). Other risk factors for compli cations were: peripheral arterial occlusive disease for arterial occlu sion (P < 0.001), high heparin dosage with DCCA (P < 0.05), and additi onal venous puncture with DCCA (P < 0.01).