One or two diagnostic catheters with radial access: Does single yield celerity or double cause trouble?

One-third of interventionalists still use dedicated left and right coronary catheters for diagnostic angiography with radial access, despite some evidence that a single "universal" catheter strategy is superior. This meta-analysis of seven randomized controlled studies of one- versus two-catheter strategies with radial access showed no differences in procedural time, fluoroscopy time, or contrast use. Use of an additional catheter was more frequent with the one-catheter strategy but radial spasm was more common with a two-catheter strategy. This meta-analysis did not address cost, complication rates, or radial occlusion rates. Differences in these factors, if found in future studies, may yet prove one strategy or the other to be superior.