Risks in heart catheterization and angiocardiography in infancy and childhood

The results of cardiac catheterization with or without angiocardiography in 689 infants and 1311 children and adolescents were reviewed. In the first week of life 14,81% of the patients died within or after 24 hours of the procedure, 7,41% in the first month of life, 2,78% in the first year. And on the whole the mortality was 0,95%. Four expired after the first month of life and none after the fourth. All those infants who expired were in poor general condition with severe cyanosis and congestive heart failure.