Radial versus femoral access for emergent percutaneous coronary intervention with adjunct glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibition in acute myocardial infarction-the RADIAL-AMI pilot randomized trial

Primary and rescue PCI can be performed with high success rates using either radial or femoral access. Although radial access was associated with a longer time to first balloon inflation, the difference was small and likely not clinically significant. In patients without shock, major bleeding and vascular complications are infrequent with either access site despite the high use of thrombolysis and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitors.