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Cardiac catheterizationCardiac catheterization (heart cath) is the insertion of a catheter into a chamber or vessel of the heart. This is done for both investigational and interventional purposes. Coronary catheterization is a subset of this technique, involving the catheterization of the coronary arteries. Additional recommended knowledgeA small puncture is made in a vessel in the groin, the inner bend of the elbow, or neck area (the femoral vessels or the carotid/jugular vessels), then a guidewire is inserted into the incision and threaded through the vessel into the area of the heart that requires treatment, visualized by fluoroscopy or echocardiogram, and a catheter is then threaded over the guidewire. If X-ray fluoroscopy is used, a radiocontrast agent will be administered to the patient during the procedure. When the necessary procedures are complete, the catheter is removed. Firm pressure is applied to the site to prevent bleeding. This may be done by hand or with a mechanical device. Other closure techniques include an internal suture. If the femoral artery was used, the patient will probably be asked to lie flat for several hours to prevent bleeding or the development of a hematoma. Cardiac interventions such as the insertion of a stent prolong both the procedure itself as well as the post-catheterization time spent in allowing the wound to clot. A cardiac catheterization is a general term for a group of procedures that are performed using this method, such as coronary angiography. Once the catheter is in place, it can be used to perform a number of procedures including angioplasty, angiography, and balloon septostomy. HistoryThe history of cardiac catheterization dates back to Claude Bernard (1813-1878), who used it on animal models. Clinical application of cardiac catheterization begins with Werner Forssmann in the 1930s, who inserted a catheter into the vein of his own forearm, guided it fluoroscopically into his right atrium, and took an X-ray picture of it. Forssmann won the Nobel Prize for this achievement. During World War II, André Frédéric Cournand and his colleagues developed techniques for left and right heart catheterization. Indications for investigational useThis technique has several goals:
Investigative techniques used with cardiac catheterizationA probe that is opaque to X-rays is inserted into the left or right chambers of the heart for the following reasons:
Categories: Cardiology | Medical tests |
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Cardiac_catheterization". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia. |