Is Radiation Exposure with the Transradial Approach Still a Concern?

Compared with the transfemoral approach, the transradial approach for diagnostic and interventional coronary procedures reduces bleeding complications and overall mortality. However, many operators are reluctant to adopt the superior technique because of concerns about increased radiation exposure. To examine the evidence, researchers identified published studies that reported radiation parameters in relation to vascular access sites. Of 1265 papers published between 1989 and 2014, they selected 24 randomized, controlled trials including a total of 19,328 patients.

The primary analysis showed a small but significant increase in fluoroscopy time for diagnostic coronary angiograms (DCAs; weighted mean difference [WMD], fixed effect: 1.04 min) …