• C Espinola-Klein, T Voigtländer, H J Rupprecht, H Kopp, B Nafe, and J Meyer.
• II. Medizinische Klinik, Johannes-Gutenberg-Universität, Mainz.
• Z Kardiol. 1997 Aug 1;86(8):615-21.

AimThe aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of a conventional pressure dressing on arterial and venous blood flow of the legs after cardiac catheterization.MethodsDuplexsonographic measurements were performed of both legs in 100 consecutive patients before catheterization and with a pressure dressing after the procedure. The pressure dressing was applied by means of a pressure pad on the punctured leg, so that the ankle-arm-index (blood pressure at the leg/blood pressure at the arm) was not influenced. Arterial and venous blood flow of the superficial femoral artery and vein were registered. We evaluated both legs by means of duplex sonography to detect arterial or venous complications after cardiac catheterization. Statistical evaluation was performed using the 1-sample Wilcoxon test.ResultsThere was a significant reduction of venous blood flow in the punctured leg from a mean of 119 ml/min before puncture to 84 ml/min during pressure dressing (29% flow reduction, p < 0.01), and a reduction of arterial blood flow from a mean of 132 ml/min before puncture to 84 ml/min during pressure dressing (36% flow reduction, p < 0.01). In the contralateral leg, venous blood flow was reduced from about 118 ml/min to 96 ml/min during pressure dressing (19% flow reduction, p < 0.01), and arterial blood flow was reduced from about 129 ml/min to 93 ml/min during pressure dressing (28% flow reduction, p < 0.01). There were no venous complications, 5 patients suffered false aneurysm (5%), and one patient had an arteriovenous fistula (1%).ConclusionA conventional pressure dressing caused a significant reduction of arterial as well as venous blood flow of both the punctured leg and the contralateral leg. This is of clinical relevance especially in patients with known peripheral arterial disease or patients at risk for deep venous thrombosis.

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