Radial artery occlusion after conventional and distal radial access: Impact of preserved flow and time-to-hemostasis in a propensity-score matching analysis of 1163 patients

OBJECTIVES To compare incidence of forearm radial artery occlusion (RAO) and hemostasis characteristics between distal and conventional transradial approach (DRA and TRA, respectively). BACKGROUND DRA has the potential advantage of reducing RAO. DRA effectively reduces time-to-hemostasis, however its role on preserving flow in the radial artery (PF) during hemostasis and consequent impact on RAO remains speculative. METHODS Eight hundred thirty-seven patients with TRA were previously enrolled in a prospective registry investigating the relationship of residual anticoagulation and RAO. Three hundred twenty-six additional patients with DRA were added to the cohort and matched to the original cohort by propensity score. The composite end-point of RAO at forearm and distal site of puncture (dRAO) was evaluated as secondary end-point. RESULTS RAO occurred in 4.8% (41 of 837) of patients undergoing TRA and in 0% (0 of 326) of those undergoing DRA (p