Air Embolus — A Lethal Complication of Subclavian Venipuncture
- 28 August 1969
- journal article
- Published by Massachusetts Medical Society in New England Journal of Medicine
- Vol. 281 (9) , 488-489
- https://doi.org/10.1056/nejm196908282810907
Abstract
SEVERAL reports describing complications directly related to subclavian venipuncture have appeared in the literature.1 2 3 Although air embolus has been mentioned as a possible complication,1 , 4 this is the first documented fatal case to be reported.Case ReportLaparotomy on a 64-year-old dehydrated man showed metastatic carcinoma of the stomach with perforation and gastric-outlet obstruction. Surgical repair of the gastric perforation was performed.To assist postoperative fluid administration, a long central-venous-pressure (CVP) catheter was inserted into the brachial vein by percutaneous puncture at the antecubital fossa. Initial and subsequent CVP determinations were persistently in the range of -3 cm of water. The . . .Keywords
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