Which complication will the nurse monitor the patient for immediately after cardiac catheterization?

Cardiac catheterization (kath-uh-tur-ih-ZAY-shun) is a procedure in which a thin, flexible tube (catheter) is guided through a blood vessel to the heart to diagnose or treat certain heart conditions, such as clogged arteries or irregular heartbeats. Cardiac catheterization gives doctors important information about the heart muscle, heart valves and blood vessels in the heart.

During cardiac catheterization, doctors can do different heart tests, deliver treatments, or remove a piece of heart tissue for examination. Some heart disease treatments — such as coronary angioplasty and coronary stenting — are done using cardiac catheterization.

Usually, you'll be awake during cardiac catheterization but be given medications to help you relax. Recovery time for a cardiac catheterization is quick, and there's a low risk of complications.

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Why it's done

Cardiac catheterization is a common procedure done to diagnose or treat a variety of heart problems. For example, your doctor may recommend this procedure if you have irregular heartbeats (arrhythmias), chest pain (angina) or heart valve problems, among other things.

Cardiac catheterization may be done during the diagnosis or treatment of:

  • Coronary artery disease
  • Congenital heart disease
  • Heart failure
  • Heart valve disease
  • Microvascular heart disease

During a cardiac catheterization, a doctor can:

  • Locate narrowing or blockages in the blood vessels that could cause chest pain (angiogram)
  • Measure pressure and oxygen levels in different parts of the heart (hemodynamic assessment)
  • See how well the heart pumps blood (right or left ventriculogram)
  • Take a sample of tissue from your heart (biopsy)
  • Diagnose heart problems present from birth (congenital heart defects)
  • Diagnose heart valve disease
  • Examine the blood vessels for blood clots

Cardiac catherization may be done at the same time as other heart procedures, such as:

  • Widening a narrowed artery (angioplasty) with or without stent placement
  • Treating irregular heart rhythms with cold or heat energy (cardiac ablation)
  • Closing holes in the heart and repairing other congenital heart defects
  • Opening narrowed heart valves (balloon valvuloplasty)
  • Repairing or replacing heart valves (heart valve surgery)

More Information

  • Cardiac catheterization care at Mayo Clinic
  • Aortic valve regurgitation
  • Aortic valve stenosis
  • Arteriosclerosis / atherosclerosis
  • Atrial flutter
  • Atrial septal defect (ASD)
  • Atrioventricular canal defect
  • Cardiogenic shock
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Coarctation of the aorta
  • Congenital heart defects in children
  • Congenital heart disease in adults
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy
  • Ebstein anomaly
  • Eisenmenger syndrome
  • Enlarged heart
  • Heart attack
  • Heart disease
  • Heart murmurs
  • Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
  • Mitral valve disease
  • Mitral valve prolapse
  • Mitral valve regurgitation
  • Mitral valve stenosis
  • Myocarditis
  • Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)
  • Pulmonary atresia
  • Pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum
  • Pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect
  • Pulmonary edema
  • Pulmonary hypertension
  • Pulmonary valve stenosis
  • Tetralogy of Fallot
  • Transposition of the great arteries
  • Tricuspid valve regurgitation
  • Ventricular septal defect (VSD)
Show more related information

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What should you monitor after cardiac catheterization?

After the cardiac cath, you may be taken to a recovery room or returned to your hospital room. You will stay flat in bed for several hours. A nurse will monitor your vital signs, the insertion site, and circulation/sensation in the affected leg or arm.

Which of these are possible complications to monitor for after a cardiac catheterization?

Bleeding..
Blood clots..
Bruising..
Damage to the artery, heart or the area where the catheter was inserted..
Heart attack..
Infection..
Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias).
Kidney damage..

What should you look for after a catheterization?

Call your doctor or nurse advice line now or seek immediate medical care if: You are bleeding from the area where the catheter was put in..
Increased pain, swelling, warmth, or redness..
Red streaks leading from the area..
Pus draining from the area..
A fever..

Which complication of cardiac catheterization should the nurse monitor for in the initial 24 hours after the procedure?

The cardiac-vascular nurse encourages the patient to be admitted because the greatest risk within the first 24 hours of sustaining an MI is: heart failure.