ABSTRACT
Cardiac catheterization is one of the most common in hospital procedures performed in the United States with an annual volume of over 1 million cases. The majority of procedures is performed for the evaluation and management of coronary artery disease (CAD). In the modern era, procedural capabilities have expanded to include the diagnosis and treatment of a wide range of structural and peripheral vascular diseases and more complex coronary interventions. The physician performing the procedure in each case is responsible for evaluating the potential risks and benefits of a given procedure based on both patient and technical factors. Proper patient selection and preparation can minimize the occurrence and severity of complications. An in-depth knowledge of the risks of each procedure is also required in order to obtain appropriate informed consent from the patient. The chapter reviews the preprocedural aspects of cardiac catheterization.
