Unintentional common carotid artery cannulation during attempted internal jugular venous catheter insertion

Nenamerna kateterizacija skupne karotidne arterije pri poskusu vstavitve centralnega venskega katetra v notranjo jugularno veno

  • Jurij Janež University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Clinic for Surgery, Department of Abdominal Surgery; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Department for Surgery
  • Dragica Marksl Janež University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Clinic for Surgery, Department of Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Therapy
Keywords: central venous catheter placement, incidental artery cannulation, complications, ultrasound guidance

Abstract

Purpose: Insertion of a central venous catheter is a common procedure, performed by anesthesiologists and other medical professionals. The preferred site for central venous cannulation is the right internal jugular vein.

Case Report: We present the case of a male patient who underwent renal transplantation for end-stage renal disease. During preparation for surgery, the right common carotid artery was cannulated instead of the right internal jugular vein. The situation was immediately recognized and managed by a vascular surgeon. The patient recovered completely without neurological deficit.

Conclusion: Central venous cannulation is usually performed using the landmark technique. Incidental cannulation of the common carotid artery is a rare complication that can have serious consequences if not immediately recognized and properly managed.

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Author Biographies

Jurij Janež, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Clinic for Surgery, Department of Abdominal Surgery; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Medicine, Department for Surgery

Asist. dr., M.D., Ljubljana, Slovenia. E–mail: jurij.janez@kclj.si

Dragica Marksl Janež, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Clinic for Surgery, Department of Anaesthesiology and Surgical Intensive Therapy

Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Published
2021-11-29
How to Cite
Janež J., & Marksl Janež D. (2021). Unintentional common carotid artery cannulation during attempted internal jugular venous catheter insertion. Acta Medico-Biotechnica, 11(2), 57-60. https://doi.org/10.18690/actabiomed.171
Section
Articles