title: Insufficient length of pulmonary artery introducer in an obese patient.
abstract: A 38-year-old, morbidly obese woman underwent surgery for debridement of necrotizing fasciitis of the abdominal wall. A pulmonary artery catheter was placed because of increasing fluid requirements. Despite multiple debridements and fluid resuscitation, the patient exhibited severe systemic inflammatory response. It was discovered that fluid placed in the introducer had extravasated into the subcutaneous tissues. In this obese patient, the pulmonary artery introducer was too short.
authors.affiliation: Trauma Services, Trinity Mother Frances Hospital, Tyler, Tex., USA.
authors.forename: Errington C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Harry E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Wilkins
authors.forename: Vicki J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Fox
authors.forename: Luis G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Fernandez
mesh_terms: D034861:Abdominal Wall / Q000382:microbiology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D002404:Catheterization; D015897:Comorbidity; D003646:Debridement; D005119:Extravasation of Diagnostic and Therapeutic Materials / Q000209:etiology*; D019115:Fasciitis, Necrotizing / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006023:Glycoproteins; D006801:Humans; D054834:Lipocalins; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000209:etiology*; D014946:Wound Infection / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery
chemical_list: C103025:Equ c1 allergen, Equus caballus; D006023:Glycoproteins; D054834:Lipocalins