In-laboratory femoral sheath removal after heparin reversal by protamine after percutaneous coronary intervention.

To evaluate the safety of heparin neutralisation by protamine immediately after PCI.Retrospective analysis of prospectively registered data.A Danish mono-centre study.All angina pectoris patients treated with PCI between January 1999 and December 2002. The cohort was divided into two groups. Group I (n=1.129 procedures) were patients admitted January 1999 to December 1999, and group II n=4.193 procedures) were admitted January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2002.In group I, the femoral sheath was removed 4 hours after the PCI procedure. In group II, circulating heparin was neutralised by protamine sulphate, and the femoral sheath removed immediately after the procedure.Rates of puncture site complications, stent thrombosis, non-fatal myocardial infarction and death during admission.The rates of stent thrombosis, non-fatal myocardial infarction and in-hospital mortality were similar in the two groups. The rate of puncture site complications were 4,7% in group 1 and 2,6% in group 2 (p<0,001).Circulating heparin can be safely neutralised by protamine sulphate immediately after PCI.