Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Medical Journal logoLink to British Medical Journal
. 1975 Jun 14;2(5971):595–597. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.5971.595

Cardiac tamponade and central venous catheters.

M J Greenall, R W Blewitt, M J McMahon
PMCID: PMC1673526  PMID: 1131628

Abstract

An analysis of the reports on 16 patients who developed cardiac tamponade, complicating the use of central venous catheters, showed that 14 died. The two survivors were treated by removal of the catheter and needle aspiration of the pericardial fluid. Some patients complained of warning symptoms such as nausea, pain, and dyspnoea, and the combination of tachycardia, hypotension, and raised venous pressure was common. We suggest that awareness of the hazard, radiographic visualization of the catheter tip, and expeditious treatment would reduce the mortality.

Full text

PDF
595

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Adar R., Mozes M. Fatal complications of central venous catheters. Br Med J. 1971 Sep 25;3(5777):746–746. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5777.746. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Barton J. J., Vanecko R., Gross M. Perforation of right atrium and resultant cardiac tamponade: A complication of catheterization to measure central venous pressure. Obstet Gynecol. 1968 Oct;32(4):556–560. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bone D. K., Maddrey W. C., Eagan J., Cameron J. L. Cardiac tamponade. A fatal complication of central venous catheterization. Arch Surg. 1973 Jun;106(6):868–870. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1973.01350180100029. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brandt R. L., Foley W. J., Fink G. H., Regan W. J. Mechanism of perforation of the heart with production of hydropericdium by a venous catheter and its prevention. Am J Surg. 1970 Mar;119(3):311–316. doi: 10.1016/0002-9610(70)90057-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dane T. E., King E. G. Fatal cardiac tamponade and other mechanical complications of central venous catheters. Br J Surg. 1975 Jan;62(1):6–10. doi: 10.1002/bjs.1800620103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fitts C. T., Barnett L. T., Webb C. M., Sexton J., Yarbrough D. R., 3rd Perforating wounds of the heart caused by central venous catheters. J Trauma. 1970 Sep;10(9):764–769. doi: 10.1097/00005373-197009000-00007. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Friedman B. A., Jurgeleit H. C. Perforation of atrium by polyethylene CV catheter. JAMA. 1968 Mar 25;203(13):1141–1142. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Homesley H. D., Zelenik J. S. Hazards of central venous pressure monitoring: pericardial tamponade. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1971 Apr 15;109(8):1216–1217. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(71)90673-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. McMahon M. J. Hazards of central venous catheterization. Br Med J. 1973 Aug 11;3(5875):353–353. doi: 10.1136/bmj.3.5875.353-b. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Thomas C. S., Jr, Carter J. W., Lowder S. C. Pericardial tamponade from central venous catheters. Arch Surg. 1969 Feb;98(2):217–218. doi: 10.1001/archsurg.1969.01340080109023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Medical Journal are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES