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Radial artery access is associated with lower bleeding risks and higher patient satisfactions compared with femoral access. It is currently the preferred access for coronary catheterization and interventions, and increasingly used for peripheral and cranial vascular interventions. Herein, we present a patient who had a recent procedures included right transradial right vertebral artery and peripheral vascular interventions. She was admitted for abdominal aortic bifemoral artery bypass, and was complicated with ST elevation myocardial infarction that required immediate cardiac catheterization. Patient did not have palpable radial access and ultrasonography confirmed a total occlusion of right radial artery with thrombus. Although distal right radial artery - at the anatomical snuff box - was not palpable, artery was patent and could be accessed successfully with ultrasonography guidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of a new generation of non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants represents a potential breakthrough in the management of patients with thrombotic diseases, disorders and conditions. While a large and growing body of evidence from large-scale clinical trials and registries supports a favorable safety profile, having a means to rapidly reverse their anticoagulant effects represents an unmet need among practicing clinicians. Several targeted reversal agents are currently in development and the early results are promising. Idarucizumab is a monoclonal antibody that can immediately and specifically reverse dabigatran. Andexanet alfa is a recombinant modified factor Xa that can bind and reverse oral and parenteral factor Xa inhibitors, including rivaroxaban, apixaban and edoxaban, and low molecular weight heparin. Aripazine is a small molecule that can reverse the action of factor Xa inhibitors and possibly dabigatran as well through non-covalent binding and charge–charge interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The optimal duration of dual antiplatelet therapy ( DAPT) after drug-eluting stent implantation ( DES) is not certain. The AHA/ ACC guidelines recommend 12 months of DAPT based on observational trials. Recently, several large randomized controlled trials ( RCT) suggested a noninferiority of shorter duration of DAPT and other trials showed a benefit from extended duration of DAPT after 12 months of DES implantation. Methods PubMed databases were searched for RCTs comparing the continued use of DAPT to shorter duration of DAPT (aspirin alone) for variable durations beyond 3 months of DES implantation. Our analysis was limited to trials with clinical outcomes. Odds ratio ( OR) and 95% confidence intervals ( CI) were calculated using fixed and random-effects models. Subgroup analyses were performed for second generation DES and for trials comparing 12 months of DAPT vs. earlier interruption or longer duration of DAPT. Results We identified 10 RCTs including 32,136 subjects randomized to continued use of DAPT vs. aspirin alone for variable durations after 3 months of DES implantation. There was no significant heterogeneity among studies (Q test P > 0.1). Compared to shorter DAPT, longer DAPT resulted in a significant reduction in stent thrombosis (0.3% vs. 0.7%, P < 0.01) and myocardial infarction (1.3% vs. 2%, P < 0.01), and a significant increase in major bleeding (0.8% vs. 0.4%, P < 0.01). There was no difference in cardiac deaths or stroke. All-cause deaths were slightly lower with shorter DAPT compared to longer DAPT ( OR 0.8, 95% CI 0.7 to 0.99, P = 0.04). A small number of subjects were included between 3 and 6 months after DES implantation. Conclusion DAPT continued beyond 6 months after second generation DES implantation decreases stent thrombosis and myocardial infarction, but increases major bleeding and all-causes mortality compared to shorter DAPT (aspirin alone). There was no difference in cardiac mortality or stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]