Transradial primary percutaneous coronary intervention — experience from a tertiary care cardiac centre

Objective: To determine the outcomes of primary percutaneous coronary intervention via transradial approach in a tertiary care cardiac centre. Methods: The study retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 160 consecutive patients who presented to Tabba Heart Institute, a private-sector facility in Karachi, between January 2009 and January 2011 with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction and treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention via transradial approach. The primary end-points were in-hospital mortality and procedural success. Secondary end-points were access site bleeding complication and 30-day outcomes (mortality, myocardial infarction and congestive cardiac failure). Results: The mean age of the patients was 55.9±11.7 years and 126 (79%) were males. The procedural success was 98% (n=157). Three (1.8%) patients died during hospitalisation. Forearm haematoma ( 5cm) was observed in three (1.8%) patients. No mortality was observed in 30-day follow-up after discharge, while myocardial infarction and congestive cardiac failure were 1.25% (n=2) and 4% (n=6) respectively. Conclusions: High procedural success and favourable clinical outcomes matching the international data can be achieved in our patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention via transradial approach.