Background: Local bleedings related to vascular access site in percutaneous procedures are relatively common complications. However, no uniform definitions exist to classify them.

Aim: To compare minor bleedings related to transradial (TR) and transfemoral (TF) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) approaches in ST elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). In addition, a new classification of TF access-related bleeding — the FEMORAL scale — was proposed.

Methods: OCEAN RACE is a prospective, randomised, open-label, clinical trial performed in STEMI patients treated with primary PCI. Patients were randomly assigned to the TR or TF arm. Bleedings related to the TR approach were assessed by the EASY scale, whereas bleedings related to the TF approach were classified according to the new FEMORAL scale. A combined analysis of all bleedings was performed using the TIMI scale.

Results: There were 103 patients analysed, including 52 in the TR arm and 51 in the TF arm. Analysis of demographic and clinical baseline characteristics revealed no significant differences between the two study groups. In-hospital bleedings related to the access site were observed in 29.8% of patients. In the TR group, a trend towards lower risk of local bleedings was observed compared to the TF group (TR: 22.4% vs. TF: 37.7%, p = 0.081). Analysis of each class of access site bleeding according to EASY/FEMORAL scales showed that patients in the TR group had a significantly lower risk of class III local haematoma compared to the TF group (TR: 0% vs. TF: 9.8%, p = 0.027). The risk of bleeding in other classes was comparable in both groups. A trend towards less frequent minimal bleedings according to the TIMI scale was observed in the TR group (HR: 0.41, 95% CI: 0.152–1.112, p = 0.059).

Conclusions: TF patients had a higher risk of access-related bleedings than TR patients. The FEMORAL scale was effective in the classification of TF access-related bleedings. Although the popularity of TF access in PCI decreases, this approach isincreasingly used in transcatheter aortic valve implantation, renal denervation and closure of paravalvular leaks. Therefore a scale accessing local bleeding in the TF approach may be useful.