Iatrogenic dissection of the subclavian artery during cardiac catheterization is a subject that is seldom referred to in the literature, probably because of the low incidence and the possible existence of publication bias due to the fact that it concerns a complication. Our patient is a 75-year-old woman with hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and a history of heart disease affecting the left ...

BACKGROUND There is variation in cardiac catheterization utilization across jurisdictions. Previous work from Alberta, Canada, showed no evidence of a plateau in the yield of high-risk disease at cardiac catheterization rates as high as 600 per 100,000 population suggesting that the optimal rate is higher. This work aims 1) To determine if a previously demonstrated linear relationship between t...

Diagnostic cardiac catheterization is recommended whenever it is clinically important to define the presence of cardiac disease that cannot be evaluated adequately by noninvasive techniques. Because the risk of a major complication from cardiac catheterization is less than 1% with mortality of less than 0.08%, many doctors can perform the catheterization safely now. We discuss the history of co...

Cardiac tamponade (CT) is a clinical entity characterized by hemodynamic insufficiency resulting from increased intrapericardial pressure due to accumulation of contents such as serous fluid, blood, and pus. CT is a treatable cause of cardiogenic shock, which can be fatal unless diagnosed promptly. Dyspnea, chest pain, hypotension, tachycardia, pulsus paradoxus, raised jugular venous pressure, ...

background: echocardiography is the most common test used for the evaluation of aortic regurgitation (ar). however, the role of echocardiography as an available and inexpensive method in the quantification of ar by the left ventricle to right ventricle stroke volume ratio (lv/rv sv ratio) has not been completely investigated. methods: between june 2005 and december 2007, 132 consecutive patient...

Access site complications are major source of morbidity following cardiac catheterization. Their incidence varies in the literature because of multiple definitions and methods of determining the presence of particular complication. The aim of this prospective study was to determine the incidence of access site complications following cardiac catheterization using arterial duplex ultrasonography...