Pressure ulcer: an unreported complication of the safeguard® hemostasis device. No need to crack under pressure

• Main Authors: Imad Sheiban, Giorgio Quadri, Claudio Moretti, Fiorenzo Gaita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Touch Medical Media 2011-06-01
• Series: Heart International
• Subjects: Cardiac catheterization; Closure vascular access; Femoral closure device; Vascular access complication
• Online Access: http://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/hi/article/view/2523

Diagnostic cardiac catheterizations are predominantly performed using the femoral artery access. Several devices have been developed to aid in the closure of femoral arteriotomy. Safeguard® is a new pneumatic compression device that has been developed for compression of the femoral artery after brief manual compression. We hereby report on the case of an elderly patient who underwent a percutaneous coronary intervention via the femoral artery in whom a Safeguard™ device, left overnight because of persistent oozing, provoked an extensive pressure ulcer. Knowledge of this potential complication is important to minimize its likelihood and treat it appropriately, in case it occurs.