Some catheters are known to cause this side effect more than others. Samer Mowakeaa, MD; Robert S. Dieter, MD, RVT. 4. Third Party materials included herein protected under copyright law. There may be a small knot, or lump, under the skin at the site. Several factors have been identified that increase a patient's chance of developing a complication after cardiac catheterization: Knowing who's at high risk will help guide your assessment postprocedure. Harper JP. I saw one guy in hospital after mine whose arm was black and swollen whereas I had only a small bruise. 2013;167:1973-1978. Cardiac catheterization, especially if the procedure involves blood vessels in the groin; Certain medications, including some blood thinners (anticoagulants) and medications used to control bleeding (antifibrinolytics) High blood pressure; Increased body mass index (BMI) Complications. PDF Complex Regional Pain Syndrome after Transradial Cardiac Catheterization Cath procedures are safe. Radial artery catheterization continues to gain increasing popularity due to a lower risk of bleeding and vascular complications as compared with the transfemoral approach.1 Compartment syndrome of the forearm or hand as a complication of radial artery catheterization has been reported.2-11 Despite its rare occurrence, with a reported incidence ranging between 0.004% and 0.13%,3,5,7,8,10 sufficient knowledge of this condition is critical for early recognition to prevent potentially devastating outcomes, which include neurologic dysfunction and Volkmann contracture. Although patients prefer radial over femoral approach, some develop post-procedural arm pain after transradial procedures. Sugimoto A, Iwamoto J, Tsumuraya N, et al. This is a plastic tube through which the catheter is thread into the blood vessel and advanced into the heart. An absolute pressure of >30 mmHg, or a difference of 20 mm Hg between the diastolic blood pressure and the intracompartmental pressure have been suggested as indicators for requiring emergent fasciotomy.18,19, If pain, swelling, or induration develops in the hand or in the forearm after radial artery catheterization, bleeding into the forearm should be suspected. 2012;163:230-238. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. Each cause will be treated differently. There are many different types of complications that can occur after cardiac catheterization. Symptoms are usually vague and easily misinterpreted as normal discomfort after the procedure. The following are some of the more common or more dangerous reasons for pain after a catheterization: Hematoma - A hematoma means a blood collection.
arm pain after heart cath