Distal radial access for coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention: A state-of-the-art review.

Since its introduction by Lucien Campeau three decades ago, percutaneous radial artery approach at the forearm has been shown to provide advantages over the femoral approach and has become the standard approach for coronary angiography and intervention. Though infrequent, vascular complications still remain, mainly radial artery occlusion. Therefore, a more distal radial approach at the snuffbox or at the dorsum of hand has been suggested, initially by anethesiologists for perioperative patient monitoring, and more recently by Babunashvili et al. for retrograde radial artery recanalization of radial artery occlusion and then for coronary angiography and intervention. This distal radial approach has been advocated to reduce the risk of radial artery occlusion at the forearm (which precludes reintervention through the same access site) and bleeding and vascular access site complications, as well as to improve operator and patient comfort, especially when using left radial approach. This review describes in detail the anatomy of the radial artery at the wrist and the hand, the history of distal radial access, the rationale underlying use of this technique, the results published by experienced operators, the technique, the limitations, and potential role of this approach. This journey from the very proximal to the very distal part of the radial artery was indeed initiated and conceptualized by Lucien Campeau himself.

History of the Buttonhole Technique.

The constant side method of access cannulation in hemodialysis, popularly known as the 'buttonhole' method, has an interesting history. Dr. Zbylut J. Twardowski, a Polish nephrologist, discovered this technique by pure serendipity in 1972. A patient with a complicated vascular access history and limited options for cannulation was repeatedly 'stuck' at the same sites by a nurse. Soon it was noticed that the cannulation at the same spot became easier with time. Since the needles were being reused, the sharpness of the needles decreased with time and the bluntness of the needle seemed to minimize the damage to the cannulation tract (another serendipity!). This method soon became popular among patients, and many patients started using this technique. This chapter traces the invention of this technique and its subsequent development following Dr. Twardowski's emigration to the USA.

Vascular access: an historical perspective from Sir William Harvey to the 1956 Nobel prize to André F. Cournand, Werner Forssmann, and Dickinson W. Richards.

Sir William Harvey (1578-1657), who had many precursors, discovered blood circulation in 1628 after a significant number of anatomic dissection of cadavers; his studies were continued by Sir Christopher Wren and Daniel Johann Major. The first central vein catheterization was performed on a horse by Stephen Hales, an English Vicar. In 1844, a century later, the French biologist Claude Bernard attempted the first carotid artery cannulation and repeated the procedure in the jugular vein, again on a horse. He was first to report the complications now well known to be associated with this maneuver. In 1929 Werner Forssmann tried cardiac catheterization on himself, but could not investigate the procedure further since his findings were rejected and ridiculed by colleagues. His work was continued by André Frédéric Cournand and Dickinson Woodruff Richards Jr in the United States. In 1956 the three physicians shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine for their studies on vascular and cardiac systems. The genius and the perseverance of the three physicians paved the way towards peripheral and central catheter vein placement, one of the most frequently performed maneuvers in hospitals. Its history still remains unknown to most and deserves a short description.

Gentleman, rebel and believer: the radial way.

The manuscript highlights some historic milestones of the universal trans-radial approach (TRA) and describes some characteristics that "radialists" share (at least in the author's opinion). The author argues against common misconceptions about the TRA, like the use of more iodine contrast, more X-ray exposition, a lower rate of successful angioplasty. Data illustrating the conversion from a trans-femoral approach catheterization laboratory to a complete TRA laboratory are presented, showing the speed of the switch and the rapid clinical benefit observed. The author concludes with possible future directions for TRA supporters, on how to optimize the material for the puncture step, how to reduce the radial occlusion rate and how to promote the TRA as the first access for acute coronary syndromes managed invasively.

History and current application of intravenous therapy in children.

More than 36,000,000 individuals in the United States were hospitalized in 1985, and, on the average, 25% of hospitalized patients have insertion of an intravenous catheter (IVC). Considering those 9,000,000 IVC placements in 1985, it may be surprising to learn that "modern" intravenous (IV) therapy has a lifetime that is barely 40 years old. For the pediatrician, IV access holds particular importance, since its acquisition is often the rate-limiting step in initiation of a therapeutic plan, particularly in the setting of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This article is a review of the nearly 500-year history of IV therapy and an overview of the IV techniques and products currently available for use in pediatric patients.