Accession Site Does Not Influence the Risk of Stroke after Diagnostic Coronary Angiography or Intervention: Results from a Large Prospective Registry

INTRODUCTION: Periprocedural stroke represents a rare but serious complication of cardiac catheterization. Pooled data from randomized trials evaluating the risk of stroke following cardiac catheterization via transradial versus transfemoral access showed no difference. On the other hand, a significant difference in stroke rates favoring transradial access was found in a recent meta-analysis of observational studies. Our aim was to determine if there is a difference in stroke risk after transradial versus transfemoral catheterization within a contemporary real-world registry. METHODS: Data from 14,139 patients included in a single-center prospective registry between 2009 and 2016 were used to determine the odds of periprocedural transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke for radial versus femoral catheterization via multivariate logistic regression with Firth's correction. RESULTS: A total of 10,931 patients underwent transradial and 3,208 underwent transfemoral catheterization. Periprocedural TIA/stroke occurred in 41 (0.29%) patients. Age was the only significant predictor of TIA/stroke in multivariate analysis, with each additional year representing an odds ratio (OR) = 1.09 (CI 1.05-1.13, p < 0.000). The choice of accession site had no impact on the risk of periprocedural TIA/stroke (OR = 0.81; CI 0.38-1.72, p = 0.577). CONCLUSION: Observational data from a large prospective registry indicate that accession site has no influence on the risk of periprocedural TIA/stroke after cardiac catheterization

Short-term risk of periprocedural stroke relative to radial vs. femoral access: systematic review, meta-analysis, study sequential analysis and meta-regression of 2,188,047 real-world cardiac catheterizations.

OBJECTIVES: To verify whether transradial (TRA) compared to transfemoral (TFA) cardiac catheterization reduces the risk of periprocedural stroke (PS). METHODS: We reviewed (CRD42021277918) published real-world cohorts reporting the incidence of PS within 3 days following diagnostic or interventional catheterization. Meta-analyses and meta-regressions of odds ratios (OR) performed using the DerSimonian and Laird method were checked for publication bias (Egger test) and adjusted for false-positive results (study sequential analysis SSA). RESULTS: The pooled incidence of PS from 2,188,047 catheterizations (14 cohorts), was 193 (105 to 355) per 100,000. Meta-analyses of adjusted estimates (OR = 0.66 (0.49 to 0.89); p = 0.007; I2 = 90%), unadjusted estimates (OR = 0.63 (0.51 to 0.77; I2 = 74%; p = 0.000)), and a sub-group of prospective cohorts (OR = 0.67 (0.48 to 0.94; p = 0.022; I2 = 16%)) had a lower risk of PS in TRA (without indication of publication bias). SSA confirmed the pooled sample size was sufficient to support these conclusions. Meta-regression decreased the unexplained heterogeneity but did not identify any independent predictor of PS nor any effect modifier. CONCLUSION: Periprocedural stroke remains a rare and hard-to-predict adverse event associated with cardiac catheterization. TRA is associated with a 20% to 30% lower risk of PS in real-world/common practice settings. Future studies are unlikely to change our conclusion