title: Fibrin sheaths and central venous catheter occlusions: diagnosis and management.
abstract: Central venous catheter malfunction diagnosis and treatment is a growing component of the field of interventional radiology. A thorough understanding of the causes of catheter malfunction and the technical skills needed to treat these problems are necessities to appropriate management. In long-standing central venous catheters, the formation of a fibrin sheath can and often does contribute to catheter malfunction. Differentiating a sheath from thrombus is imperative to appropriate therapy. The purpose of this article is to provide an understanding of the causes of fibrin sheaths and how to treat them.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santilli
mesh_terms: D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling / Q000009:adverse effects; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005337:Fibrin; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D015912:Thrombolytic Therapy; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D005337:Fibrin