title: Early recognition of an entrapped pulmonary artery catheter by blood leaking into the syringe and thermistor connector during cardiac surgery.
abstract: An 84-year-old male was scheduled for coronary artery bypass graft surgery under general anesthesia. During cardiopulmonary bypass, the leakage of blood into the syringe being used for balloon inflation and the thermistor connector of the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) was detected. Resistance was encountered when trying to withdraw the PAC. A surgical suture of the right atrium cannulation was stitched to PAC and was immediately released. Early detection of surgical damage to PAC and recognition of the entrapped PAC by gently withdrawing it avoided possible life-threatening complications, including pulmonary air embolism, and the inevitable of resternotomy. Transesophageal echocardiography, chest radiography, and fluoroscopy can help confirm any postoperative surgical damage following closure of the sternum or while in the intensive care unit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Wei-Hung
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Che-Hao
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Chih-Cherng
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Chien-Sung
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Hsiang-Yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Wen-Jinn
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Liaw
authors.forename: Tso-Chou
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002407:Catheterization, Swan-Ganz / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D057785:Catheters; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male