title: A central venous catheter complicating head and neck surgery.
abstract: A case is reported of a central venous catheter that was placed inadvertently into the internal jugular vein during the anaesthetic preparation for surgery. The catheter tip was sectioned during surgery and was feared to have embolised into the central circulation but it was subsequently identified in the pathological specimen. A summary of the complications associated with central venous catheterisation is reported and a simple protocol is proposed to avoid a similar complication.
authors.affiliation: Queen's Medical Centre, University Hospital, Nottingham.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGurk
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Thomson
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000601:surgery*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins; D008297:Male; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D008441:Maxillary Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D009132:Muscles / Q000637:transplantation; D037981:Neck Dissection; D013524:Surgical Flaps