Transthoracic 2D echocardiographic guidance for percutaneous removal of a nonopaque intracardiac catheter fragment.
A radiolucent fragment of a fractured central venous catheter embolized to the right heart resulting in life-threatening dysrhythmias in a middle-aged male patient who had undergone orthotopic liver transplantation 1 day earlier. The fragment was removed via the right transjugular route using sonographic guidance to entrap the fragment with a brightly echogenic snare. The technique described protects the caval anastomoses in the liver transplant recipient and overcomes the limitation of fluoroscopy in removing radiolucent bodies.
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Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison 53792-3252.
Bielke
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Crummy
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Rahko
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D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods; D005117:Cardiac Complexes, Premature / Q000209:etiology; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D006321:Heart; D006801:Humans; D016031:Liver Transplantation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013617:Tachycardia, Supraventricular / Q000209:etiology