A radial approach is superior to a femoral approach for percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) used to treat acute myocardial infarction, French researchers report in the December issue of Heart.

Dr. Camille Brasselet and colleagues at CHU Robert Develet, Rheims compared the two techniques in 114 patients with acute MI. The patients were randomized to receive PCI via the radial or femoral approach, and were treated with the platelet aggregation inhibitor abciximab.

Local hemostasis was achieved by manual compression. The peripheral arterial complication rate was significantly lower in the radial group (14 per cent) than it was in femoral patients (35 per cent), the investigators report.

Of the 57 patients assigned to the radial group, seven (12 per cent) required conversion to femoral access. Only one patient in the femoral group required conversion to radial access.

Overall, the interval between PCI and ambulation was significantly shorter in the radial compared to the femoral group (22 versus 42 hours).

"Surprisingly," say the researchers, the duration of hospital stay was similar in both groups. However, they conclude by pointing out that at the time of the study design, "it was not the policy of our institution to allow early discharge after PCI.