BACKGROUND The optimal population rate of cardiac catheterization is unknown. One potential way to determine it would be to examine whether there is a population rate beyond which the yield of high-risk coronary artery disease (CAD) does not rise. METHODS Using a detailed clinical registry that captures all patients undergoing cardiac catheterization in Alberta, we determined annual populatio...

Background Central venous catheter (CVC) is used for measuring hemodynamic variables, transfusion of blood, fluids and medications when peripheral vascular lack sufficiency. Unfortunately CVC is associated with many complications ranging from anxiety and discomfort for the patient to severe mechanical side effects such as arterial lacerations, pleural and pericardial injury as well as infection...

In an attempt to better understand congenital subaortic stenosis, we reviewed 19 consecutive pediatric patients undergoing surgery for this problem between 1973 and 1984. Preoperative cardiac catheterization demonstrated subvalvular stenosis in all patients and associated anomalies in 11 patients. All patients underwent transaortic resection of the subaortic membrane. Five patients underwent co...

BACKGROUND The majority of the literature on catheterization-induced heart block (CIHB) was published >30 years ago. The field of cardiac catheterization has evolved, performing more interventional compared with diagnostic cases. We sought to determine the incidence and risk factors of CIHB. METHODS AND RESULTS A catheterization database that records the occurrence of adverse events on all ca...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE There are concerns that cardiac catheterization may cause retinal embolization, a risk marker for cerebrovascular emboli and stroke. We describe the incidence of acute retinal embolism after cardiac catheterization. METHODS One hundred unselected patients attending a tertiary referral center for diagnostic cardiac catheterization were recruited. Digital retinal photogra...

BACKGROUND Women and minorities traditionally have shown less use of diagnostic cardiac catheterization. We sought to determine whether mobile cardiac catheterization laboratories may increase the use of catheterization among women and minorities by bringing the technology to remote communities. METHODS We collected data on consecutive patients undergoing cardiac catheterization at mobile lab...

BACKGROUND Because of the higher radiosensitivity of infants and children compared with adults, there is a need to evaluate the doses delivered to pediatric patients who undergo interventional cardiac procedures. However, knowledge of the effective dose in pediatric interventional cardiology is very limited. METHODS AND RESULTS For an accurate risk estimation, a patient-specific Monte Carlo s...