Neurologic complications due to catheterization.

In our university cardiac center, the incidence of a cohort of children with acute neurologic complications resulting from cardiac catheterization performed for acyanotic or cyanotic congenital heart disease is 0.38% (14 children of a total of 3,648 catheterization procedures). Neurologic complications consisted of convulsion (n = 10), stroke (n = 6), intracranial hemorrhage (n = 2), extrapyramidal features (n = 1), paraplegia (n = 1), visual impairment (n = 1), hearing impairment (n = 1), and brachial plexus injury (n = 1). The main risk factors included prolonged duration of catheterization procedure and interventional manipulation in addition to cardiac catheterization. The possible mechanisms causing brain injury included cerebral embolism from local clots and hypoxia resulting from complications during the procedure. Other complications included intracranial hemorrhage secondary to anticoagulation and peripheral plexopathy because of prolonged fixed posture during anesthesia. The prognosis for the majority of patients with stroke is good. Neurologic sequelae, such as global developmental delay or epilepsy, occurred in those with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy.