Going home after your coronary angiogram

Femoral access site 

• Rest at home in bed or reclined in a chair until the morning after your procedure. Get up only to go to the toilet and go back to bed.
• Keep the leg with the bandage as straight as you can
• Do not bend or squat for two days after the procedure.
• Do not lift, push or pull anything that weighs more than 10 pounds for the first three days.
• If you must climb stairs, climb using the leg that was not used, dragging the other one up the step.
• No sports, heavy work or lifting for seven days after your procedure.
• Gradually increase your activity over the first week. 

Radial access site 

• Rest at home until the morning after your procedure.
• Keep the wrist where the procedure was done as straight as you can for six hours.
• Do not do any sports, heavy work or lifting with the arm that was used for your procedure for four to seven days.
• Gradually increase your activity over the first week. 

Going back to work 

Ask the doctor who did your test when you can go back to work. 

Driving 

Do not drive any vehicle or operate machinery for at least one day (24 hours) after your angiogram. If you have had a stent inserted, wait two days. If you have had a heart attack, ask your doctor or nurse when it will be safe for you to resume driving. 

• Keep the bandage dry during the evening and night after the test.
• Do not shower until the morning after your test.
• Do not put another bandage on.
• Do not take baths, use swimming pools or hot tubs for the next 7 days.

Femoral access site 

If you rest as you are told you may not have any bleeding or swelling. However, once the bandage is removed you may see a soft lump or bruise (hematoma) around the hole of the access site or even down the leg where the angiogram was done – this is normal. It is not normal when the hematoma suddenly gets bigger or harder. Signs of bleeding are tightness, stinging pain, warmness, wetness where the puncture site was. 

If you notice any signs of bleeding, do the following: 

• Lie down on the floor
• Press hard on the bandage while you wait for the person who is with you to help.
• The person can remove the bandage and check to see if there is bleeding or swelling under the access site or hole.
• If there is bleeding or swelling, the person must press hard one inch above the access site for 15 minutes. Press hard enough you can feel the heartbeat under your fingers.
• Do not stop pressing.
• You will know if you are doing it right if the bleeding stops immediately and the swelling does not get any bigger or harder.
• If there is still some bleeding or if the swelling is getting bigger or harder, move your fingers a little and keep pressing.
• Stay on the floor for one hour before getting back up to the couch, recliner or bed.
• If after 15 minutes, the bleeding does not stop or if the swelling gets bigger or harder, continue to hold the pressure above the puncture site and call 911

Radial access site 

Signs of bleeding are blood on the bandage, swelling, stinging, pain where the needle was put in the wrist. 

If you have bleeding or swelling, you must: 

• Take off the bandage
• Check the site for swelling or bleeding
• Use your hand to press hard on the puncture site for 15 minutes. Someone else can do the pressing if you wish.
• Press hard enough to feel a heartbeat under your fingers.
• Do not stop pressing for 15 minutes.
• If there is still bleeding, or if the swelling is getting bigger or harder, reposition the hand applying pressure to the puncture site and keep on pressing.
• If after 15 minutes, the bleeding does not stop or if the swelling gets bigger or harder, continue to hold the pressure above the puncture site and call 911

• You notice numbness, tingling or swelling at the access puncture site after you have done the steps above.
• You develop increasing pain or discomfort at the access site.
• You have signs of infection, such as redness, drainage or fever.
• There’s a change in temperature or colour of the leg or arm that was used for the procedure.
• You feel faint or weak.
• You develop chest pain, which does not go away after the Nitroglycerin spray.
• You develop shortness of breath that is not relieved with rest.