General (including evidence of efficacy) A variety of arrhythmias may be encountered during coronary angiography and intervention. They can range in seriousness from premature complexes to potentially lethal ventricular fibrillation. Life-threatening arrhythmias occur in <1% of all cardiac catheterizations. If hemodynamically unstable ventricular tachycardia or fibrillation develops, the immediate treatment is electrical defibrillation. This may…
General (including evidence of efficacy) The ability to deliver safe and effective moderate sedation is important in the performance of cardiac catheterization. The goals of procedural sedation are to ease anxiety and discomfort without compromising patient cooperation and ventilation. Moderate sedation in the catheterization laboratory is most commonly achieved with a combination of a short-acting…
General (including evidence of efficacy) Inotropes and vasopressors Inotropes and/or vasopressors are essential in the management of cardiogenic shock complicating myocardial infarction/ischemia and in the treatment of hemodynamic instability occurring during coronary interventions. They help stabilize patients at risk for progressive hemodynamic collapse or serve as a life-sustaining bridge to a more definitive therapy. Differences…
General (including evidence of efficacy) Vasodilators Medications that vasodilate the coronary arteries are frequently used during coronary angiography and intervention. They can generally be classified as: Vasodilators that predominantly dilate the epicardial coronary arteries with little or no effect on the microcirculation (e.g., nitroglycerin). Vasodilators with mixed activity that dilate both the large epicardial and…
