title: "Fishing for lines": removal of endovascular catheters from the cardiovascular system.
abstract: We present two infants whose endovascular lines were accidentally cut or fractured, and had to be retrieved via transcatheter means in the cardiac catheterisation laboratory. The first case was a two-month-old infant with transposition of the great arteries, requiring an emergency balloon atrial septostomy. An indwelling vascular catheter that was placed in the right femoral vein was accidentally cut and had migrated into the inferior vena cava, before being retrieved. The second case was a one-week-old neonate who presented with pneumonia at birth, and had a long intravenous catheter placed in the left saphenous vein, which became fractured, and subsequently migrated into the heart. This case presented as a pulmonary embolus with haemodynamic instability, as the catheter had partially obstructed the right ventricular outflow tract. This was later retrieved via transcatheter means.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kota Bharu 16150, Malaysia.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Suhaimi
authors.forename: M A R
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Ridzuan
authors.forename: M M Z
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Rizal
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saedah
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography / Q000379:methods; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D020878:Device Removal; D005268:Femoral Vein / Q000601:surgery; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy