Reducing Radial Artery Spasm

Dr Khin Kay Kay Kyaw
21/01/2025

Take home messages

  • Reducing Radial Artery Spasm. It is important because it is one of the most common complications encountered by interventionists while performing trans-radial coronary angiography. It causes patient discomfort and reduces procedure success rates.
  • SPASM Study1: This study was a first double-blinded randomized controlled trial evaluating the effectiveness of vasodilatory medications including nitroglycerine, verapamil, etc. upon reducing RAS.
  • Key Take-home message: Every operator must learn those tips and tricks in this editorial to overcome the challenge of radial spasm and leads to better patient outcomes.

Introduction

Radial artery spasm (RAS) is a commonly encountered complication with the evolution of trans-radial access as the preferred approach worldwide for cardiac catheterizations. It is believed that the reported incidences of RAS is variable between 4% and 20% during trans-radial diagnostic or interventional cardiology procedures in recent years9.  However, the occurrence of problematic RAS could hinder and complicate subsequent trans-radial interventional procedures if it is not anticipated and prevented by operators in time. Thus, these editorial aims to describe methods for reducing RAS, including a simple catheter-in-guide technique, pre-medications, and choice of sheaths, for interventional cardiologists to implement during trans-radial procedures.