title: Entrapment of a Swan-Ganz catheter.
abstract: Failure to withdraw a catheter is related primarily to catheter entrapment or knotting. Placement of a Swan-Ganz catheter is associated with various complications, one of which is entrapment. Entrapment of a Swan-Ganz catheter in the heart, vena cava, or pulmonary artery is a very rare and serious complication that may lead to life-threatening complications if not treated appropriately. Most reported cases of catheter entrapment have been associated with surgical sutures, artificial valves, or abnormal cardiac anatomy. Here we report a rare case of Swan-Ganz catheter entrapment resulting from inserting an excessive length of Swan-Ganz catheter into the heart. The catheter was removed smoothly under fluoroscopic guidance.
authors.affiliation: Intensive Care Unit, Department of Internal Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Lung-Ching
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Po-Hsun
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male