title: Management of catheter emboli.
abstract: Catheter emboli are a significant risk to patient well-being. With a 49% complication rate for indwelling catheter emboli, the consensus is that these foreign bodies should be removed. Preferably, the emboli are removed by percutaneous extraction; however, if the emboli are in the heart or central vasculature and percutaneous extraction fails, then thoracotomy with operative removal is necessary. We analyze the literature on catheter emboli and present a case showing that extraction of embolized fragments is not always possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery , University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA.
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Roye
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Breazeale
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Byrnes
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Rue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016121:Brachiocephalic Veins; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004617:Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents