Cardiac Catheterization Research Paper

Cardiac Catheterization

Cardiac catheterization is one of cardiologists’ most commonly applied interventional strategies to assess a patient’s heart function. The procedure allows clinicians to check how well blood vessels supply a patient’s heart with oxygen-rich blood. During a cardiac catheterization test, a long narrow tube is placed into a blood vessel in the patient’s arm or leg. Using a special x-ray machine, the clinician guides the tube to the patient’s heart. The clinician may perform a heart biopsy or coronary angiogram depending on the underlying symptoms. A heart biopsy is used to assess how well the heart performs its functions to inform interventional strategies, while a coronary angiogram is conducted to check for blockages or narrowing in the patient’s arteries (Kiamanesh & Toma, 2021). Due to its effectiveness in establishing the heart’s overall health, clinicians commonly use the procedure to develop treatments for diverse heart conditions. The benefits of cardiac catheterization also include its capacity to optimize interventions meant to alleviate heart problems that could otherwise cause more adverse health implications, such as heart attack and stroke. However, cardiac catheterization is associated with multiple health risks, such as artery damage, low blood pressure, and blood clots. Therefore, it is important to assess the effectiveness of cardiac catheterization as an intervention for heart conditions.

Problem Statement

Individuals with coronary artery disease and other heart disorders often experience chest pain that results from a blockage of blood flow in the blood vessels that deliver oxygenated blood to the heart muscle to allow it to function. Such blockage is often caused by plaque in the coronary artery, limiting the supply of oxygenated blood to the heart’s walls. If untreated, such a condition can lead to heart attack or even death, which justifies the application of cardiac catheterization as an interventional strategy. However, patients who have been administered cardiac catheterization present serious health reactions to the intervention. While some patients develop an allergic reaction to the contrast material or medications used during the procedure, others experience excessive bleeding and infection at the catheter insertion site, further deteriorating their health. Some patients have also reported a progression in coronary artery disease as the cardiac catheterization procedure leaves blood clots in arteries, causing life-threatening implications. The procedure is sometimes associated with arrhythmias as it interferes with several implications of pressure in arteries (Manda & Baradhi, 2018). It is important to investigate how improving care coordination among healthcare professionals could enhance patient outcomes among individuals undergoing cardiac catheterization.

Objectives

The general objective of this study is to develop a formalized approach that accommodates interprofessional collaboration during the administration of cardiac catheterization procedures among patients with heart disorders. Specific objectives of the study include;

1. To describe the importance of cardiac catheterization as a treatment intervention.
2. To investigate the complications of cardiac catheterization.
3. To identify strategies to alleviate the health implications of cardiac catheterization among patients.

Methodology

The primary research method for this study is a literature review and conceptual modeling. The study analyzed findings from past scholarly works to understand how complications and health risks associated with cardiac catheterization could be addressed. It also describes, summarizes, and critically evaluates past research on cardiac catheterization. Such a research methodology provides a foundation of knowledge on a research topic, identifies areas of priority in the research process, and builds on past studies by identifying inconsistencies, conflicting views, and open questions left by other researchers (Snyder, 2019). A conceptual modeling approach is utilized in the study to investigate the relationships and interactions among various healthcare professionals that could be leveraged to optimize outcomes among patients who are administered cardiac catheterization. Therefore, the study presents insight into ways cardiac catheterization could be improved to promote patient safety.

Review of Literature

Cardiac catheterization constitutes an effective intervention for various heart disorders. A study conducted by Yannopoulos (2019) investigates the effectiveness of cardiac catheterization in managing patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. According to the study, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a leading cause of heart failure that has claimed many people’s lives in the past (Yannopoulos, 2019). With the introduction of cardiac catheterization laboratories in many hospitals, the prevalence of coronary artery disease and cardiac arrest has declined as patients who gain early access to cardiac catheterization have been associated with a 10% to 15% absolute higher functionally favorable survival rate compared with more conservative approaches of late or no access to the cardiac catheterization laboratory (Yannopoulos et al., 2019). Therefore, cardiac catheterization constitutes an effective intervention for preventing and managing cardiac arrest. Another study conducted by Sandoval et al. (2019) investigates the potential health risks and complications experienced by patients who undergo cardiac catheterization. According to the study, cardiac catheterization eliminates plaques in blood vessels that limit the circulation of oxygenated blood to the heart and other body parts (Sandoval et al., 2019). However, the intervention increases the patient’s risk of developing other health complications that make it hard to return to normal life despite receiving treatment for cardiac arrest and other heart disorders (Sandoval et al., 2019). Therefore, the study recommends interprofessional collaboration during the administration of cardiac catheterization to relieve patients of heart disorders while mitigating health risks associated with such procedures.

Diverse approaches to cardiac catheterization cause different health risks and complications in patients. The effectiveness of such approaches has been studied to identify the intervention with the most health benefits and least risks. Anjum et al. (2017) compared the effectiveness of transradial and transfemoral approaches in cardiac catheterization. The study found that inserting a catheter in the patient’s femoral artery during transfemoral cardiac catheterization demonstrates a higher likelihood of causing adverse health implications on the patient’s health (Anjum et al., 2017). However, duration and radiation exposure are higher in the transradial approach, which could cause long-term health implications for the patient (Anjum et al., 2017). The study recommends collaboration between healthcare professionals specializing in transfemoral cardiac catheterization and those specializing in transradial cardiac catheterization to establish a common approach that prioritizes health benefits and mitigates risks. As Opsha and Kane (2017) identify, an interprofessional collaboration between nursing and pharmacy specialists optimizes the effectiveness of interventions administered to patients with heart disorders. Therefore, it is important to identify how various forms of interprofessional collaboration in the care setting could improve patient outcomes among cardiac catheterization patients.

Discussion

The current study informs strategies to improve the effectiveness of cardiac catheterization processes such as angioplasty, biopsy, and stent placement. Angioplasty often results in excessive bleeding, infection, and kidney damage, while biopsy may cause puncture damage to nearby tissue or organs and skin numbness around the biopsy site. Similarly, stent placement results in breathing problems and blockage of the arteries. Therefore, the research proposes workable solutions that could be achieved through interprofessional collaboration in the care setting. It identifies interventions that could be administered to patients who undergo cardiac catheterization to help them overcome the negative health implications of such procedures. Care must be taken when doing the procedure, the duration, and the location of the puncture since they dictate patient outcomes.

Conclusion

Cardiac catheterization is commonly used to treat cardiac arrest and other heart disorders. The procedure alleviates plaques in blood arteries to ensure a steady flow of oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood to the heart’s walls. However, the procedure is associated with multiple health complications, including excessive bleeding and kidney damage. Past research has associated cardiac catheterization with poor patient outcomes as the intervention exposes them to diverse complications that limit their capacity to lead comfortable lives. Therefore, it is important to investigate the role of interprofessional collaboration in refining various strategies used to administer cardiac catheterization to improve patient outcomes and relieve them of their healthcare needs. The current study conducted a literature review of past scholarly works to gather sufficient information and scientific proof regarding how the complications and health risks associated with cardiac catheterization could be addressed. The study develops a conceptual framework of interprofessional relationships within the healthcare system that could improve the effectiveness of cardiac catheterization as a primary intervention for cardiac arrest and other heart disorders. Findings from the study inform strategies to improve the effectiveness of cardiac catheterization processes such as angioplasty, biopsy, and stent placement.

References

Anjum, I., Khan, M. A., Aadil, M., Faraz, A., Farooqui, M., & Hashmi, A. (2017). Transradial vs. transfemoral approach in cardiac catheterization: a literature review. Cureus, 9(6), 1-11. https://dx.doi.org/10.7759/Fcureus.1309

Kiamanesh, O., & Toma, M. (2021). The state of the heart biopsy: a clinical review. CJC Open, 3(4), 524-531. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cjco.2020.11.017

Manda, Y. R., & Baradhi, K. M. (2018). Cardiac catheterization, risks, and complications. StatPearls Publishing.

Opsha, Y., & Kane, R. (2017). Interprofessional collaboration between nursing and pharmacy to optimize inpatient heart failure (HF) education. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 23(8), S97. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cardfail.2017.07.285

Sandoval, Y., Bell, M. R., & Gulati, R. (2019). Transradial artery access complications. Circulation. Cardiovascular Interventions, 12(11), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1161/circinterventions.119.007386

Snyder, H. (2019). Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines. Journal of Business Research, 104, 333-339. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.07.039

Yannopoulos, D., Bartos, J. A., Aufderheide, T. P., Callaway, C. W., Deo, R., Garcia, S., Halperin, H. R., Kern, K. B., Kudenchuk, P. J., Neumar, R. W., Raveendran, G., & American Heart Association Emergency Cardiovascular Care Committee. (2019). The evolving role of the cardiac catheterization laboratory in managing patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation, 139(12), e530-e552. https://doi.org/10.1161/cir.0000000000000630