[Use of 5 French catheters in percutaneous femoral coronaro-ventriculography (500 consecutive procedures with 5 French catheters)].

To verify the advantages and the systematic use of 5 French catheters in femoral percutaneous coronaroventriculography, 500 consecutive unselected patients with confirmed or suspected coronary artery disease underwent this procedure. In one case only (0.2%) we had recourse to 7 French catheters on account of the inability to enter the left coronary ostium. There were no major local complications. General complications were represented by vagal reactions in 20 cases (4%) and by transient minor motor aphasia in one case (0.2%). The cardiac complications were represented by: -1 (0.2%) atrio-ventricular isorhythmic dissociation; -1 (0.2%) complete right bundle branch block; -3 (0.6%) atrial fibrillation; (all had a rapid and spontaneous regression) -1 (0.2%) ventricular fibrillation treated successfully with D.C. shock; -1 (0.2%) non fatal acute myocardial infarction (at the end of the procedure); -2 (0.4%) attacks of cardiac asthma treated successfully with medical therapy. 5 French catheters have proved to be extremely efficacious, with some technical experience, in percutaneous coronaroventriculography via femoral approach. The possible advantages could consist of a reduction in local complications, a patient's precocious mobilization and a minor traumatism on the arterial wall. The major complications are comparable with those observed using 7-8 French catheters. In the future it might be possible, in selected patients, to use 5 French catheters to perform ambulatory cardiac catheterization with reduction of both costs and hospitalization period.