Good and bad luck together: a cardiac tamponade case subsequent to internal jugular vein catheterization

Züleyha Kazak,

Züleyha Kazak¹, Hikmet Süer¹, Coşkun İkizler²

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Medicine Faculty of Ufuk University, Ankara
²Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Medicine Faculty of Ufuk University, Ankara

Prior to serious surgical interventions, central venous catheterization (CVC) is used with such purposes as obtaining venous tract and hemodynamic monitorization as well as applying medicine. Although it is rare, serious complications might develop after catheterization. A 72-year-old female patient who was being prepared for coronary bypass surgery was inserted a CVC into right internal jugular vein. Her pericardium was opened upon the bradycardia that developed following the sternotomy, and it was observed that hemopericardium had developed. The tip of the central catheter was seen on vena cava superior and was pushed back by the surgery team. Cannulations were completed quickly and the pump was entered, vena cava was repaired and surgery was completed and then the patient was transferred to intensive care unit. In this article cardiac tamponade, which is a rare but potentially fatal complication associated with CVC, has been presented.

Keywords : Cardiac tamponade; central venous catheterization/ complication; coronary bypass

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