Temporary balloon tamponade for managing subclavian arterial injury by inadvertent central venous catheter placement.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the feasibility, efficacy, and safety of a temporary balloon tamponade technique for managing subclavian arterial injury secondary to inadvertent central venous catheter placement.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients with subclavian arterial injury caused by inadvertent placement of a central venous catheter (size range 7-F to 7.5-F) who were treated only with temporary balloon tamponade between February 2002 and October 2009 were included. A temporary balloon tamponade technique was used to treat 13 patients (6 men and 7 women; mean age 56.7 years; age range 28-80 years). Technical success, total balloon inflation time, and complications were evaluated.

RESULTS: Technical success was achieved with the temporary balloon tamponade technique in 13 cases (100%). Eight patients were treated with one balloon inflation, and five patients with two inflations (mean inflations 1.4). The mean total balloon inflation time was 14 minutes ± 13. There was no recurrent bleeding, hematoma, or pseudoaneurysm that required additional interventional procedures or surgical repair. A thrombus was identified in the subclavian arterial lumen after removal of the balloon catheter in one case; however, the thrombus was nonocclusive and asymptomatic.

CONCLUSIONS: Temporary balloon tamponade seems to be technically feasible and effective with a good safety profile in the management of subclavian arterial injury caused by inadvertent central venous catheter placement. Intraluminal thrombus can be an associated complication of the procedure.