Radiation Exposure and Vascular Access in Acute Coronary Syndromes: The RADMatrix Trial

It remains unclear whether radial increases the risk of operator or patient radiation exposure when performed by expert operators OBJECTIVES: To determine whether radial access increases radiation exposure METHODS: We randomly assigned 8404 patients, with or without ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome, to radial or femoral access for coronary angiography and percutaneous intervention, and collected fluoroscopy time and dose area product (DAP). In the radiation sub-study (RAD-MATRIX), we anticipated that 13 or more operators, each wearing a thorax (primary endpoint), wrist and head (secondary endpoints) lithium fluoride thermo luminescent dosimeter and randomizing at least 13 patients per access site were needed to establish non-inferiority of radial versus femoral access.