Table 1. Classifications of severity of complications of cardiac catheterization.
| Complication category | Mild | Moderate | Severe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Death | Any occurre | ||
| 2 | Arrhythmia | PVC/transient Bradycardia/supraventricular tachycardia; no intervention | VT/atrial flutter or fibrillation/asystole/complete AV block/junctional tachycardia; resolved with medication (adenosine, atropine) or pacing | Need cardioversion or pacemaker |
| 3 | Circulatory | Hypotension or hypertension; resolved spontaneously or saline loading |
Hypotension; need inotropic |
Chest compression, Any CPR |
| 4 | Vascular thrombus | Weak DPP | Need IV heparin | Need surgery |
| 5 | Embolism | Transient and reversible | CVA, systemic | |
| 6 | Vascular bleeding | Hematoma, hemoptysis, epistaxis, tracheal bleeding | Need transfusion | Need surgery |
| 7 | Allergic | Urticaria | Hypotension, angioedema | Anaphylaxis |
| 8 | Respiratory | Desaturation; no intervention/mask O2 |
Need resuscitation bagging | Need resuscitation bagging |
| 9 | Fever | 1-2 day fever | - | Need ICU care or surgery |
| 10 | Gastrointestinal | Nausea, vomiting | - | - |
| 11 | Cardiac perforation | No intervention | Need pericardiocentesis | Need surgery |
| 12 | Catheter related | No intervention | Further complication | Need surgery |
| 13 | Intervention balloon related | No intervention | Further complication (balloon rupture) | Need surgery |
| 14 | Device or coil related | No intervention | Further complication | Need surgery |
| 15 | Back pain | Back pain | ||
| 16 | Others | Chest discomfort Dysuria |
PVC: premature ventricular contraction, VT: ventricular tachycardia, AV: atrioventricular, CPR: cardiopulmonary resuscitation, DPP: dorsalis pedis pulse, IV: intravenous, CVA: cerebrovascular accident, ICU: intensive care unit