Interventional cardiology for coronary heart disease

Abstract

The purpose of this chapter is to give an overview of interventional cardiology. Diagnostic angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) are discussed, in addition to related issues (e.g. achieving haemostasis, pharmacological adjuncts, and complications). The principles of nursing care for both angiography and PCI are similar and will, ∴, be discussed together; any differences will be clarified. Although coronary angiography is the focus of this chapter, it is worth noting that cardiac catheterization is the passage of a catheter into the left and/or right heart to provide diagnostic information about the heart and blood vessels. Cardiac catheterization is a generic term that refers to a variety of procedures including angiography, ventriculography, and right or left heart catheterization. ∴ abnormalities of the heart valves, heart muscle, and coronary arteries can be identified by these procedures.