Complications of cardiac catheterization in the current era: A single-center experience

Consecutive cardiac catheterization procedures done over a 2-yr period (Apr il 1996 to March 1998) were prospectively analyzed to determine and charact erize procedure-related complications (in-hospital and 1-mo follow-up), as they occur at present. During the study period, 11,821 procedures (7,953 di agnostic and 3,868 therapeutic) were performed, The majority of procedures (> 60%) were done in high-risk patients. Stents were implanted in 33% of pa tients, and adjunctive abciximab was used in 6.6% of therapeutic procedures . The overall complication rate was 8% (3.6% of diagnostic procedures and 1 5.1% of therapeutic procedures). The procedure-related mortality rates were 0.2%, 0.1%, and 0.5% for total, diagnostic, and therapeutic procedures, re spectively, Cardiac complications were seen in 3.9% (1.5% of diagnostic and 9% of therapeutic procedures). Emergency cardiac surgery was required in 0 .05% of the diagnostic procedure group and 0.3% of the therapeutic procedur e group (total, 0.1%), Despite marked changes in patient population and pra ctice, the complication rates of cardiac catheterization remain very low. ( C) 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.