PURPOSE: To evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of brachial approach arteriography for outpatients, withparticular regard to safety and image quality. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The angiographic findings and follow-upmedical records of 131 brachial approach arteriographies in 121 outpatients were retrospectively analysed. 5 Fpigtail catheters were used in 125 cases, and 5-F OCU-A catheters were used in three cases of renal arteriography,and three of upper extremity arteriography without catheter. RESULTS: Except for three cases of brachial arterypuncture failure, all procedures were performed successfully. One hundred and fifteen of 119 lower extremityarteriographies were visualized down to the level of the tibioperoneal artery. The non-visualized cases were threein which there was multiple obstruction at the distal common iliac artery and one with insufficient contrastamount due to renal failure. In four cases there were complications : two involved arterial thrombosis, one was anintramuscular hematoma, and one an A-V fistula. CONCLUSION: For outpatients, brachial approach arteriography canreplace the femoral approach. Its image quality is excellent, there are time-cost benefits, and the rate ofcomplications is relatively low.
Angiography* ; Arteries ; Brachial Artery* ; Catheters ; Fistula ; Hematoma ; Humans ; Iliac Artery ; Outpatients* ; Renal Insufficiency ; Retrospective Studies ; Thrombosis ; Upper Extremity

Background/Aims: Although international guidelines for bronchiectasis management have been published in Western countries, there is a lack of data about their application in Asian populations including patients with different phenotypes. We aimed to investigate the current status of bronchiectasis management in Asian populations. Methods: A nationwide questionnaire survey was performed of Asian respiratory specialists from South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka. Participants were invited by e-mail to answer a questionnaire comprising 25 questions based on international guidelines for the management of bronchiectasis. Results: A total of 221 physicians participated in the survey. About half of them were Korean (50.2%), with the next most common nationalities being Japanese (23.1%), Taiwanese (13.6%), and Singaporean (7.7%). Only 18 (8.1%) responders had local guidelines for bronchiectasis. While 85 (38.5%) responders checked sputum acid-fast bacillus smear/culture about 1 to 3 times per year, only a small proportion of responders routinely performed a serum immunoglobulin test (36/221, 16.3%) or evaluated for allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (41/221, 18.6%). Less than half (43.4%) of responders performed eradication treatment in patients with drug-sensitive Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, mainly due to the limited availability of inhaled antibiotics (34.8%). In addition, 58.6% of responders considered physiotherapy such as airway clearance and pulmonary rehabilitation. Conclusions Discrepancies might exist between guideline recommendations and practice for bronchiectasis management in Asian populations, partly due to the limited availability of treatment in each country. The development of local guidelines that consider the phenotypes and situation will help to standardize and improve the management of bronchiectasis.