Objective To explore the application effect of air bag compression combined with multi-step automatic decompression in radial artery hemostasis after coronary angiography in elderly patients.

Methods A total of 630 elderly patients who underwent transradial coronary angiography in our hospital from March 2023 to April 2024 were selected as study subjects and randomly divided into control group, observation group 1, and observation group 2, with 210 patients in each group. The control group received manual compression hemostasis with a three-step air bag compressor after surgery, while the observation group 1 and observation group 2 received automatic compression hemostasis with a customized pressure step compressor for three-step and five-step compression, respectively, on the air bag compressor after surgery. The bleeding rate, delayed pressure release rate, radial artery stenosis rate, radial artery occlusion rate, and nursing work time were compared among the three groups after surgery (after CAG and before removal of the air bag compressor). Pain scores, heart rate, and blood pressure were recorded after surgery and before pressure release at 1 h after surgery.

Results The observation group 2 had better results in bleeding rates, delayed pressure release rates, radial artery stenosis rates, and occlusion rates at the puncture site compared with the control group and observation group 1(P < 0.05). The nursing work time in the observation group 1 and observation group 2 was shorter than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The pain scores, heart rate, and systolic blood pressures before pressure release at 1 h after surgery were better in all three groups compared with those after surgery (P < 0.05). The pain scores, heart rates, and blood pressures before pressure release at 1 h after surgery in the observation group 2 were better than those in the control group and observation group 1 (P < 0.05).

Conclusion The application of air bag compression combined with a five-step gradual automatic decompression method for compression hemostasis can effectively reduce the incidence of radial artery complications, shorten nursing work time, and improve patients' comfort.