Frequency of ischemia during intracoronary ultrasound in women with and without coronary artery disease.

Myocardial ischemia is common during ICUS imaging in women with and without CAD. Although no long-term adverse effects occurred in our small sample, a larger sample of women is required to confirm our observations and to determine the precise mechanisms of ischemia. Such studies may determine whether the smaller diameter of coronary vessels in women makes the women more vulnerable than men to the occurrence of chest pain and ischemia during ICUS. Although ICUS is valuable in guiding coronary interventions, disposable catheters are costly. Studies are required to assess the cost-benefit ratio of incorporating ICUS with coronary interventional procedures. Until more is known, we recommend that nurses educate patients about ICUS, monitor them closely for ischemia and arrhythmias during the procedure, and consider obtaining 12-lead ECGs when patients undergo and ICUS procedure.