Haemocompatibility of coronary catheters

Background: Unwanted side-effects like thrombotic-thromboembolic processes accompany the intravascular use of catheters. The influence of the physico- chemical properties of the catheter materials on these processes is not com pletely understood. Methods: The haemocompatibility of angiography-catheters (n = 10) (Super To rque Plus(R), CORDIS, Johnson&Johnson company) was examined in a perfusion- model filled with platelet-rich plasma and either compared to a non-thrombo genic (silicon-tube) or to a thrombogenic surface (glass). As test-paramete rs the number of single circulating thrombocytes, of circulating platelet-a ggregates, of circulating activated thrombocytes (CD62) and the thrombin ge neration (thrombin antithrombin III-complexes) were evaluated. Results: None of the test-parameters showed differences between the non-thr ombogenic control-system and the angiography-catheters. Both systems, howev er, differed significantly and relevantly from the system filled with the g lass-beads (the thrombogenic control-systems), Conclusion: With respect to the platelet reactivity angiography-catheters o f the examined type can therefore be regarded as non-thrombogenic or haemoc ompatible.