Effectiveness of mechanical compression devices in attaining hemostasis after femoral sheath removal

BACKGROUND Cardiac interventions are widely accepted as a practical treatment option for coronary artery disease. However, few changes have occurred in the techniques used for percutaneous arterial cannulation and for attaining hemostasis after cardiac interventions. To date, researchers have focused on techniques to achieve optimal hemostasis at the time of removal of the arterial catheter and to minimize the impact and complications of arterial puncture. OBJECTIVE To summarize the best available evidence on the effectiveness of mechanical compression devices used to obtain hemostasis following femoral sheath removal after cardiac interventional procedures. METHOD An attempt was made to detect both published and unpublished reports of research evaluations of mechanical compression techniques used to attain hemostasis after femoral sheath removal. Methodological quality was assessed by using predesigned criteria. Data were extracted from information on randomized controlled trials and were statistically combined in meta-analysis where possible. Evidence was also synthesized by using narrative summaries. RESULTS Twelve studies met the inclusion criteria; however, only 3 were included in the meta-analysis. The results of meta-analysis indicated that the mechanical compression technique was the most effective for preventing formation of hematomas. The prevalence of bleeding did not differ significantly for different methods of compression. CONCLUSION A gap exists in the literature on quality randomized controlled trials of various devices used to attain hemostasis after femoral sheath removal.