Comparison of outcomes after 8 vs. 9.5 french size intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation catheters based on 9,332 patients in the prospective Benchmark® registry

The Benchmark intra-aortic balloon counterpulsation (IABC) registry maintains prospectively gathered clinical information on a large cohort of IABC patients. The purpose of the present report is to compare in-hospital outcomes and complications in patients treated with the newer 8 vs. 9.5 Fir size catheters. Between January 1997 and August 2000, data on 7,078 9.5 Fir and 2,254 8 Fir IABC insertions were submitted to Benchmark. This was not a randomized comparison but rather a posthoc analysis of prospectively gathered data. There was less limb ischemia with the 8 Fir IABC size catheter. There were no significant differences in bleeding or mortality between the two groups. Smaller IABC catheter size is associated with significantly less limb ischemia, especially in higher-risk patients. The large, population-based, ongoing Benchmark registry provides a useful vehicle for outcomes research concerning the evolving practice of IABC. (C) 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.