title: Unrecognised guide wire migration during internal jugular cannulation and its retrieval--a case report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this article is to report a case of unrecognised missed guide wire diagnosed two months after right internal jugular cannulation and which was successfully retrieved from the right femoral vein.
  
  
  METHODS
  The case record of a patient that had retained intravenous guide wire was reviewed with relevant literature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A 40-yr-old female had an emergency left thoracotomy on account of haemorrhagic pleural effusion. A right internal jugular central venous catheter (CVC) insertion was performed for resuscitation and haemodynamic monitoring before induction of anaesthesia. A follow-up thoraco-abdominal Computed tomography (CT) scan taken after 8 weeks showed a pigtail intravascular metallic foreign body traversing the distal superior vena cava, right atrium, inferior vena cava, and ending at the right femoral vein. The guide wire was successfully removed via a right femoral venotomy under local anaesthesia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intravascular loss of a guide wire is a rare complication of CVC insertion. If basic precautionary measures were taken, the loss of guide wire would have been avoided.
authors: Department of Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.
authors: A T
authors: AT
authors: Adenekan
authors: U U
authors: UU
authors: Onakpoya
authors: A F
authors: AF
authors: Faponle
authors: S O
authors: SO
authors: Olateju
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005268:Femoral Vein; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery; D006325:Heart Atria; D006801:Humans; D019300:Medical Errors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior; D014683:Vena Cava, Superior