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Femoral Arterial Thrombosis After Cardiac Catheterization In Infancy: Impact of Doppler Ultrasound for Diagnosis

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Abstract

Femoral arterial thrombosis (FAT) is a nonnegligible complication after cardiac catheterization (CC) in infancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of Doppler ultrasound (US) for diagnostic work-up after catheterization. We compared standard follow-up (FU) without Doppler US by relying on clinical signs of FAT with advanced FU using Doppler US of the femoral vessels. Between January and December 2009, we evaluated the rate of FAT in infants <12 months of age using a multicenter, prospective observational survey. We analysed 171 patients [mean age 4.1 ± 3.3 (SD) months; mean body weight 5.3 ± 1.8 kg] from 6 participating centres. The mean duration of catheter studies was 57.7 ± 38.0 min. The overall rate of FAT based on clinical diagnosis was 4.7 % and was comparable in both groups [3.4 % undergoing standard FU vs. 7.4 % undergoing advanced FU (p = 0.15)]. However, the overall rate of thrombosis as screened by Doppler US was greater at 7.1 %, especially in patients after advanced FU [18.5 % advanced vs. standard FU 1.7 % (p < 0.01)]. In conclusion, FAT remains a relevant and underestimated complication after catheterization in young infants when relying only on clinical signs of FAT. Therefore, to start effective treatment as soon as possible, we recommend Doppler US to be performed the day after CC.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Friederike Prüfer for Doppler US studies, Karin Baumgartner for data management, and Beatrice Latal for support of statistical analysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Cardiology, University Children’s Hospital, Steinwiesstrasse 75, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland

    Walter Knirsch & Oliver Kretschmar

  2. Division of Diagnostic Imaging, University Children’s Hospital, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland

    Christian Kellenberger

  3. Department of Pediatric Cardiology, University Hospital, 91052, Erlangen, Germany

    Sven Dittrich

  4. Department of Congenital Heart Disease and Pediatric Cardiology, German Heart Institute Berlin, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Peter Ewert

  5. Department of Pediatric Cardiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Klinikum Stuttgart Olgahospital, 70176, Stuttgart, Germany

    Martin Lewin

  6. Pediatric Cardiology, Klinikum Oldenburg, 26133, Oldenburg, Germany

    Reinald Motz

  7. Department of Congenital Heart Disease/Pediatric Cardiology, Klinikum Links der Weser, 28277, Bremen, Germany

    Jan Nürnberg

Authors
  1. Walter Knirsch
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  2. Christian Kellenberger
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  3. Sven Dittrich
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  4. Peter Ewert
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  5. Martin Lewin
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  6. Reinald Motz
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  7. Jan Nürnberg
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  8. Oliver Kretschmar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Walter Knirsch.

Additional information

This study was conducted on behalf of the Working Group Interventional Cardiology of the German Association of Pediatric Cardiology.

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Knirsch, W., Kellenberger, C., Dittrich, S. et al. Femoral Arterial Thrombosis After Cardiac Catheterization In Infancy: Impact of Doppler Ultrasound for Diagnosis. Pediatr Cardiol 34, 530–535 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-012-0488-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-012-0488-0

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