title: Inadvertent aortic cannulation with a pulmonary artery catheter detected by transesophageal echocardiography.
abstract: Attempted pulmonary artery catheterization via the left internal jugular vein resulted in a misdiagnosis of pulmonary hypertension before transesophageal echocardiography revealed the catheter positioned in the ascending aorta. Inadvertent aortic cannulation through an unusual type of partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection was confirmed with transcatheter fluoroscopy and later at autopsy. Partial anomalous pulmonary venous connection describes one or more of the pulmonary veins draining into the right atrium or its tributaries instead of the left atrium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Harefield Hospital, Uxbridge, UK. claassiegmueller@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Claas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Siegmueller
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bell
authors.forename: Tarun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mittal
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D001011:Aorta / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001344:Autopsy; D016121:Brachiocephalic Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005471:Fluoroscopy; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging