Predictors of Brachial Artery Spasm during Transradial Cardiac Catheterization

Background: Brachial artery spasms may occur during transradial cardiac catheterization. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between brachial artery spasms after transradial cardiac catheterization and coronary artery disease. Methods: Two hundred and forty-one patients who received transradial cardiac catheterization for diagnosis of coronary artery disease were enrolled in this study. Brachial artery angiography was performed after cardiac catheterization in order to document brachial artery spasms. Age, sex, coronary risk factors, clinical, hemodynamic, and angiographic characteristics were included in our assessment. Results: In 241 patients enrolled, 99 patients had coronary artery disease and the others did not. The rate of brachial artery spasm was 9.09% (9/99) in patients with coronary artery disease and 23.94% (34/142) in patients without coronary artery disease (p = 0.001). In univariate analysis, factors associated with brachial artery spasms included heart rate, diameter of brachial artery and coronary artery disease. In multivariate analysis, the absence of coronary artery disease (p = 0.019) and the diameter of brachial artery (p = 0.005) were the independent predictors of brachial artery spasms after transradial cardiac catheterization. The patient with coronary artery disease was less likely to have brachial artery spasms after transradial cardiac catheterization. Conclusion: Our study suggests that brachial artery spasms do not affect the feasibility of transradial coronary intervention in patients with coronary artery disease. Furthermore, small brachial artery and the absence of coronary artery disease predict brachial artery spasm during transradial cardiac catheterization.