Interventional Removal of Knotted Pulmonary Artery Catheter: A Case Report

J Intensive Care Med. 2018 May;33(5):322-324. doi: 10.1177/0885066617733933. Epub 2017 Sep 25.

Abstract

A 60-year-old female patient underwent emergency cadaveric liver transplantation. During the insertion of the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) through the left innominate vein, advancement of the catheter was not successful and a knot occurred. An interventional radiologist performed antegrade rigid wire insertion into the PAC and succeeded in loosening the knot in the vessel. We report the successful removal of a knot through intervention without additional invasive procedures in a hemodynamically unstable patient with a coagulopathy.

Keywords: complications; knots; pulmonary artery catheterization.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Cardiac Catheters / adverse effects*
  • Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / adverse effects*
  • Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / methods
  • Device Removal / methods*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Intraoperative Care / adverse effects*
  • Intraoperative Care / methods
  • Liver Transplantation / methods*
  • Middle Aged
  • Pulmonary Artery / surgery