Coronary arteriography: prevention of thromboembolic complications using a pressure-drip flushing technique.

All selective coronary arteriographic examinations (1,833) performed in the authors' laboratory during a five-year period (1/1/70 to 12/31/74) were analyzed for mortality and total morbidity according to method used. During the first two years, the control period, the classic brachial artery cutdown (Sones) and percutaneous femoral artery puncture (Judkins) techniques were utilized. Mortality rate for the total 589 patients was 1.01%. This included a mortality of 0.26% (1/386) for the brachial arteriotomy method, and 2.5% (5/203) for the percutaneous femoral puncture approach. After introduction of the pressure-drip flushing technique, the subsequent three-year mortality rate for a total of 1,244 patients was 0.16%. This included an incidence of 0.17% (1/585) for brachial arteriotomy and 0.15% (1/659) for modified percutaneous puncture techniques. The morbidity incidence during the initial two-year period was 3.0% (18/589). This included an incidence of 2.0% for brachial arteriotomy and 5.0% for percutaneous puncture techniques. After institution of the new pressure-drip flushing technique the total incidence fell to 1.2% equally divided between arteriotomy and percutaneous techniques. Modification of the classic percutaneous femoral artery puncture techniques has resulted in major reduction of mortality and morbidity complications which are chiefly thromboembolic in nature. It has not significantly influenced local thrombotic complications of arteriotomy.