title: Angel(®) Catheter use for pulmonary embolism prophylaxis in a polytrauma patient.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the successful, clinical use of the Angel(®) Catheter, a device used for the prevention of pulmonary embolism (PE) and central venous access in a critically ill, multi-trauma patient.
  
  
  METHODS
  Authors report the case of a 35-year-old man, in critical condition with multiple trauma injuries sustained from a fall, who was admitted to the Department of Rescue Medicine and Multiorgan Trauma in Krakow, Poland.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anticoagulation was interrupted due to the risk of intraoperative bleeding. Due to the continued presence of multiple VTE risk factors, the Angel(®) Catheter was placed at the bedside for the prevention of PE. At the time of removal, a CT scan demonstrated a filling defect, consistent with a fine emboli caught inside the filter. After removal, thrombus was found lodged in the tip of the catheter filter.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Angel(®) Catheter protected this critically ill, multi-trauma patient from PE at a time when current methods otherwise used for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), specifically antithrombotic pharmacologic agents and mechanical compression, were contraindicated due to the patient's complex clinical condition. Unlike other invasive techniques used for the prevention of PE, the Angel(®) Catheter also provided the convenience and expedience of bedside placement, eliminating the mandatory involvement of interventional radiologists or vascular surgeons, the need for specialised equipment, and movement of the patient which delay the procedure, increasing the risk of thromboembolic events.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care No 1, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland; Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland. Electronic address: w.serednicki@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Wojciech
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Serednicki
authors.affiliation: The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care No 1, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dobrowolska
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Katarzyna
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kałuża
authors.affiliation: Cracow University of Technology, Inter-University Centre for New Medical Techniques and Technologies, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Michał
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kopacz
authors.affiliation: The Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care No 1, University Hospital, Krakow, Poland; Department of Pain Treatment & Palliative Care, Jagiellonian University, Medical College, Krakow, Poland.
authors.forename: Jerzy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wordliczek
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000328:Adult; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002405:Catheterization, Central Venous / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D016638:Critical Illness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009104:Multiple Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016306:Vena Cava Filters; D020246:Venous Thrombosis / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants
keywords: Angel(®) Catheter; Deep vein thrombosis; Pulmonary embolism; Thromboprophylaxis; Venous filter; Venous thromboembolism