Comparison of 7 and 8 French guiding catheters for elective PTCA: results of a prospective randomized trial.

A prospective randomized trial was performed to detect technical and clinical differences of 7F compared to 8F guiding catheters (GC) used in elective coronary angioplasty (PTCA). One hundred and fifteen patients undergoing elective PTCA with standard balloon dilatation catheters were randomized to 7F (55 pts) or 8F (58 pts) guiding catheters. The endpoints were primarily coronary artery and peripheral vascular complications; and secondarily, technical details and quantitative and qualitative angiographic quality. There was no difference between 7F or 8F GC for development of coronary or peripheral vascular complications. With 7F GC there was less blood loss (Hct, 3.5 +/- 3.4% vs. 6.5 +/- 9.6%, P = .033), and less contrast medium (160 +/- 88 mL vs. 200 +/- 119 mL, P = .049) used. Angiographic quality was similar, although visualization of lesions in the left anterior descending coronary artery in the left anterior oblique projection was improved with the 8F GC. There is no advantage of 7F GC for the prevention of coronary or peripheral vascular complications, although there was less blood loss and contrast medium used with the 7F systems.