Wood R A, Lewis B K, Harber D R, Kovack P J, Bates E R, Stomel R J
Department of Internal Medicine, Botsford General Hospital, Farmington Hills, Michigan 48336, USA.
Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn. 1997 Sep;42(1):8-10. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0304(199709)42:1<8::aid-ccd3>3.0.co;2-8.
Outpatient cardiac catheterization is frequently performed, but the optimal recovery time after sheath removal has not been defined. Left heart catheterization was performed via the femoral artery utilizing 6 French catheters on 323 outpatients. One hundred thirty-five patients were randomized to ambulate at a mean of 2.5 hr (group 1) after puncture site compression, whereas 188 patients were randomized to ambulate at a mean of 4.1 hr (group 2). Telephone follow-up occurred within 48 hr. A small hematoma (< 5 cm) occurred in 2 (1.6%) patients in group 1 and in 4 (2.4%) patients in group 2. These results indicate that it is safe to ambulate patients 2.5 hr following 6 French diagnostic heart catheterization.
