The cardiology exams

THE ARTERIOGRAPHY

- Concrete progress of the exam
- Results
- Indications
- Complications

The arteriography is a radiological exam whose aim is to display the arteries.

This exam requires the injection into the arteries of an impervious to X-rays product so as to really display the whole arterial network.

The arteriography can be achieved at the level of the upper members, lower members arteries, and the head arteries.

It is an invasive exam, capable of being responsible for rare complications. This exam is generally painless. It lasts 15 to 20 minutes on average but can be longer according to the studied arteries and the technical procedures. Its result is immediate.

CONCRETE PROGRESS OF THE EXAM

In order to inject this product into the arteries, it is imperative to introduce a hollow hose up to their level, so that the impervious to X-rays product can be injected. Thus, this hose is introduced through an artery, then moves along the arterial network up to the level where the physicians want to achieve an exploration.

- Conditions of exam

The physician insures that his patient is not allergic to iodine in particular, because in this case, he should administer him anti-allergic medicines such as the corticoids and the antihistamines (the eve of the exam).

Medicines against the anguish are sometimes administered just before implementing the arteriography (benzodiazepines); the patient’s stomach is empty and the anti-coagulant treatments are preferably stopped.

During the arteriography, the patient is naked, recumbent on his back.

- Putting the “introductor” in place

The first step of this work consists, after a local anaesthesia, to puncture an artery of a member so as to put a big calibre hose in place which in fact constitutes an introductor.

The artery situated in the fold of the groin, the femoral artery, is often chosen to achieve an arteriography of the lower members or of the arteries of the head. Sometimes (and more and more often), the radial artery (artery of the arm) can be used.

Putting the introductor into the femoral artery in the fold of the groin.

- Passing the hose through the introductor

Once the introductor has been put in place into the artery (a generally painless gesture), the hose which will inject the radiological contrast product is introduced into the artery by this introductor, then routed at the level of the sick artery.

Once in place, the radiological contrast product will be injected very quickly, in order to make this artery opaque. Concomitantly, a radiological film is made permitting to observe the whole artery.

Once the exam is finished, the physician withdraws the whole material or sometimes leaves the introductor in place.

A compression of the artery is achieved for 10 to 30 minutes so that the blood does not come out which permits to avoid the constitution of a haematoma.

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File last reviewed on dec 18, 2011