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. 2016 Mar;46(2):161-8.
doi: 10.4070/kcj.2016.46.2.161. Epub 2016 Mar 21.

Numbness after Transradial Cardiac Catheterization: the Results from a Nerve Conduction Study of the Superficial Radial Nerve

Ho-Jun Jang  1 , Ji-Young Kim  2 , Jae Deok Han  3 , Hyun Jong Lee  1 , Je Sang Kim  1 , Jin Sik Park  1 , Rak Kyeong Choi  1 , Young Jin Choi  1 , Won-Heum Shim  1 , Sung Woo Kwon  4 , Tae-Hoon Kim  1
Affiliations

Numbness after Transradial Cardiac Catheterization: the Results from a Nerve Conduction Study of the Superficial Radial Nerve

Ho-Jun Jang et al. Korean Circ J. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Numbness on the hand occurs infrequently after a transradial cardiac catheterization (TRC). The symptom resembles that of neuropathy. We, therefore, investigated the prevalence, the predicting factors and the presence of neurological abnormalities of numbness, using a nerve conduction study (NCS).

Subjects and methods: From April to December 2013, all patients who underwent a TRC were prospectively enrolled. From among these, the patients who experienced numbness on the ipsilateral hand were instructed to describe their symptoms using a visual analogue scale; subsequently, NCSs were performed on these patients.

Results: Of the total 479 patients in the study sample, numbness occurred in nine (1.8%) following the procedure. The NCS was performed for eight out of the nine patients, four (50%) of which had an abnormal NCS result at the superficial radial nerve. A larger sheath and history of myocardial infarction (p=0.14 and 0.08 respectively) tended towards the occurrence of numbness; however, only the use of size 7 French sheaths was an independent predictor for the occurrence of numbness (odds ratio: 5.50, 95% confidence interval: 1.06-28.58, p=0.042). The symptoms disappeared for all patients but one, within four months.

Conclusion: A transient injury of the superficial radial nerve could be one reason for numbness after a TRC. A large sheath size was an independent predictor of numbness; therefore, large sized sheaths should be used with caution when performing a TRC.

Keywords: Cardiac catheterization; Numbness; Radial neuropathy; Superficial radial nerve lesion.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Changes in the patients' mean and range of symptoms since the initial presentation, with a visual analogue scale (VAS).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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