[Not Available].

BACKGROUND

Vascular closure devices (VCD) make it possible to rapidly remove the introducer sheath from an arterial access, thereby reducing the length of time in hemostasis, the time patients are restricted to their beds, and the number of puncture site complications.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy and possible complications associated with use of an arterial occlusion device compared with manual compression.

METHODS

This was a prospective, randomized, longitudinal study of 20 patients conducted from December 2014 to July 2015 in Maringá, PR, Brazil. They were divided into two groups: those who were treated using a VCD (VCD group) and those for whom only manual compression was used (MC group). Doppler ultrasound examination was used to determine skin-artery depth before and after the procedure and the length of time compression was maintained and the delay before mobilization were also recorded. Data were analyzed using the program Statistical Analysis Software.

RESULTS

A total of 60% of the patients were male and the mean age of both groups was approximately 60 years. There was no difference in skin-artery depth between the groups. The duration of compression in the VCD group was 2 minutes and in the MC group it was 21±2.11 minutes (p = 0.0005), while the delay before return to mobility of the lower limb that had been punctured was 2.35±0.75 hours in the VCD group and 6 hours in the MC group (p = 0.0005). There were no complications.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, hemostasis by manual compression exhibited equal efficacy to use of a VCD, but the duration of compression and delay before resumption of activity were shorter in the patients for whom the device was employed.