Spinal cord infarct after arterial switch associated with an umbilical artery catheter.
Paraplegia after an open heart operation in a neonate is a rare complication. We report a case of a infant in whom paraplegia developed after a successful arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries. The infant was monitored and resuscitated in the preoperative period with umbilical arterial and venous catheter tips located in the midthoracic region. He likely suffered a clinically silent thromboembolic event predisposing him to a localized hemorrhagic infarction during the repair.
Variety Children's Heart Center, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
R P
RP
Lemke
N
N
Idiong
S
S
al-Saedi
N G
NG
Giddins
C
C
Ward
A
A
Hamilton
L
L
Hawkins
B J
BJ
Hancock
J N
JN
Odim
D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007238:Infarction / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010264:Paraplegia / Q000209:etiology; D013131:Spine / Q000098:blood supply*; D014188:Transposition of Great Vessels / Q000601:surgery*; D014469:Umbilical Arteries