Treatment and Management of Upper Extremity Dysfunction Following Transradial Percutaneous Coronary Intervention:A Prospective Cohort Study

Background:The transradial artery access is the benchmark approach in transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TR-PCI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the different complications, treatments, and outcome of upper extremity dysfunction following a TR-PCI.Methods:This was a prospective cohort substudy of patients with access-site complications. The study population consisted of 433 patients treated with TR-PCI. Referral to the hand center was mandated if the patient experienced new-onset or increase of preexistent symptoms in the upper extremity. Patients were followed up to the last control visit (5-7 months after the index procedure) at the hand center. Outcome results were categorized in "symptom-free," "improvement of symptoms," and "no improvement."Results:Forty-one (9% of total) patients underwent assessment at the hand center. Most frequent referral indication was pain in the intervention arm. Women, preexisting sensibility disorder, and osteoarthritis in the intervention arm were associated with increased odds of referral. The most common complications diagnosed were carpal tunnel syndrome (n = 18) and osteoarthritis (n = 15). Thirty patients required further medical treatment. Immobilization therapy was most applied. Seventeen (4% of total) patients had persisting symptoms despite medical treatment.Conclusions:The occurrence of complications in the upper extremity after a TR-PCI is small. Despite medical treatment, symptoms persisted in 4% of all patients treated with TR-PCI. Possible explanations for the persisting symptoms are exacerbation of latent osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome by trauma-induced edema. Awareness of TR-PCI-induced complications among all specialists is essential to optimize patient care

Detection and localization of early- and late-stage cancers using platelet RNA

Cancer patients benefit from early tumor detection since treatment outcomes are more favorable for less advanced cancers. Platelets are involved in cancer progression and are considered a promising biosource for cancer detection, as they alter their RNA content upon local and systemic cues. We show that tumor-educated platelet (TEP) RNA-based blood tests enable the detection of 18 cancer types. With 99% specificity in asymptomatic controls, thromboSeq correctly detected the presence of cancer in two-thirds of 1,096 blood samples from stage I–IV cancer patients and in half of 352 stage I–III tumors. Symptomatic controls, including inflammatory and cardiovascular diseases, and benign tumors had increased false-positive test results with an average specificity of 78%. Moreover, thromboSeq determined the tumor site of origin in five different tumor types correctly in over 80% of the cancer patients. These results highlight the potential properties of TEP-derived RNA panels to supplement current approaches for blood-based cancer screening

Treatment and Management of Upper Extremity Dysfunction Following Transradial Percutaneous Coronary Intervention:A Prospective Cohort Study

Background:The transradial artery access is the benchmark approach in transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TR-PCI). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the different complications, treatments, and outcome of upper extremity dysfunction following a TR-PCI.Methods:This was a prospective cohort substudy of patients with access-site complications. The study population consisted of 433 patients treated with TR-PCI. Referral to the hand center was mandated if the patient experienced new-onset or increase of preexistent symptoms in the upper extremity. Patients were followed up to the last control visit (5-7 months after the index procedure) at the hand center. Outcome results were categorized in "symptom-free," "improvement of symptoms," and "no improvement."Results:Forty-one (9% of total) patients underwent assessment at the hand center. Most frequent referral indication was pain in the intervention arm. Women, preexisting sensibility disorder, and osteoarthritis in the intervention arm were associated with increased odds of referral. The most common complications diagnosed were carpal tunnel syndrome (n = 18) and osteoarthritis (n = 15). Thirty patients required further medical treatment. Immobilization therapy was most applied. Seventeen (4% of total) patients had persisting symptoms despite medical treatment.Conclusions:The occurrence of complications in the upper extremity after a TR-PCI is small. Despite medical treatment, symptoms persisted in 4% of all patients treated with TR-PCI. Possible explanations for the persisting symptoms are exacerbation of latent osteoarthritis and carpal tunnel syndrome by trauma-induced edema. Awareness of TR-PCI-induced complications among all specialists is essential to optimize patient care

Upper Extremity Function following Transradial Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: Results of the ARCUS Trial

Objectives. To determine the incidence of upper extremity dysfunction (UED), after a transradial percutaneous coronary intervention (TR-PCI). Background. Transradial approach (TRA) is the preferred approach for coronary interventions. However, upper extremity complications may be underreported. Methods. The ARCUS was designed as a prospective cohort study, including 502 consecutive patients admitted for PCI. Patients treated with transfemoral PCI (TF-PCI) acted as a control group. A composite score of physical examinations and questionnaires was used for determining UED. Clinical outcomes were monitored during six months of follow-up, with its primary endpoint at two weeks. Results. A total of 440 TR-PCI and 62 control patients were included. Complete case analysis (n = 330) at 2 weeks of follow-up showed that UED in the TR-PCI group was significantly higher than that in the TF-PCI group: 32.7% versus 13.9%, respectively (p=0.04). The three impaired variables most contributing to UED were impaired elbow extension, wrist flexion, and extension. Multivariate logistic regression showed that smokers were almost three times more likely to develop UED. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that UED seems to occur two times more in TR-PCI than in TF-PCI at 2 weeks of follow-up. However, no significant long-term difference or difference between the intervention arm and the contralateral arm was found at all timepoints