Comparative Study of Transradial Versus Transfemoral Route Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in Acute ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Introduction Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is the first choice of treatment for myocardial infarction (MI). However, entry site failure is still one of the major complications faced by the interventionist. Hence the present study compared the efficacy and complications of radial and femoral approaches in PCI in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Methods A hospital-based prospective study was conducted on patients with acute STEMI. A total of 100 patients were enrolled that were randomly divided into two groups of 50 each, i.e., patients that had undergone PCI by radial approach (N=50) and those who had undergone PCI by femoral approach (N=50). Results The male-to-female ratio was 1.5:1 and 1.6:1 in the transradial (TR) and transfemoral (TF) groups, respectively. With respect to age, both the groups were dominated by the age group of 50-60 years, with 42% in the TR group and 34% in the TF group having an age >60 years. The mean access time, fluoroscopy time, and procedural time in the TR group were 6.0 ± 0.7 minutes, 5.9 ± 0.6 minutes, and 29.55 ± 0.9 minutes, respectively. In the TF group, the mean access time, fluoroscopy time, and procedural time were 5.1 ± 0.5 minutes, 5.5 ± 0.7 minutes, and 26.7 ± 2.1 minutes, respectively. In the TR group, ecchymosis and loss of radial pulse were observed in 10% of the patients, thrombophlebitis in 4%, and bleeding complications in 2%. While in the TF group, ecchymosis was observed in 26%, followed by thrombophlebitis (24%), minor hematoma, and bleeding complications (14%). Conclusion The present study emphasizes the use of radial access in patients with ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome, as this approach was associated with significant clinical benefits. Moreover, bleeding complications were more in patients undergoing TF intervention.