Timing of Anticoagulant Administration During Radial Access Percutaneous Coronary Intervention: the HERA-PCI Study (Heparin Early for Radial Access Percutaneous Coronary Intervention)

While the reduced hemorrhagic risk of radial access for percutaneous coronary intervention compared to femoral access is well-established, its main complication remains radial artery occlusion, which can occur in up to 30% of patients. Anticoagulation is the primary preventive measure recommended in clinical practice to reduce the risk of this complication, typically involving heparin injection during the procedure in most centers. However, data on the effect of the timing of heparin injection are limited. The investigators hypothesize that injection of heparin before sheath insertion may reduce the rate of radial artery occlusion compared with injection after sheath insertion.