EARLY AMBULATION FOLLOWING 6 FRENCH DIAGNOSTIC LEFT-HEART CATHETERIZATION - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED TRIAL

Outpatient cardiac catheterization is frequently performed, but the op timal recovery time after sheath removal has not been defined. Left he art catheterization was performed via the femoral artery utilizing 6 F rench catheters on 323 outpatients, One hundred thirty-five patients w ere randomized to ambulate at a mean of 2.5 hr (group 1) after punctur e site compression, whereas 188 patients were randomized to ambulate a t a mean of 4.1 hr (group 2). Telephone follow-up occurred within 48 h r. A small hematoma (<5 cm) occurred in 2 (1.6%) patients in group 1 a nd 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 c atheterization. (C) 1997 Wiley-Llss, Inc.