Unrecognised guide wire migration during internal jugular cannulation and its retrieval--a case report.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

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.

PATIENT AND

METHODS

The case record of a patient that had retained intravenous guide wire was reviewed with relevant literature.

RESULT: 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.

CONCLUSION

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.