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Cardiac catheterization

• Overview
• Risks

Alternative Names:

Catheterization - cardiac; Heart catheterization

What the risks are:

Cardiac catheterization carries a slightly increased risk when compared with other heart tests. However, the test is very safe when performed by an experienced team.

Generally, the risk of serious complications ranges from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 500. The risks include the following:

• Cardiac arrhythmias
• Cardiac tamponade
• Trauma to the artery caused by hematoma
• Low blood pressure
• Reaction to contrast medium
• Hemorrhage
• Stroke
• Heart attack

Considerations associated with any type of catheterization include the following:

• In general, there is a risk of bleeding, infection, and pain at the IV site.
• There is always a very small risk that the soft plastic catheters could actually damage the blood vessels.
• Blood clots could form on the catheters and later block blood vessels elsewhere in the body.
• The contrast material could damage the kidneys (particularly in patients with diabetes).

Special considerations:

Cardiac catheterization may include coronary angiography .

• Review Date: 7/17/2006
• Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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