Fatal hemothorax caused by a subclavian hemodialysis catheter. Thoughts on prevention

1 August 1984

journal article
case report
Published by American Medical Association (AMA) in Archives of internal medicine (1960)

Vol. 144 (8) , 1685-1687
https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.144.8.1685

Abstract

A 19-year-old woman died when a subclavian catheter that had provided vascular access for plasmapheresis penetrated her right atrium, pericardium, and parietal pleural, causing a hemothorax. Precautions are recommended to minimize the risk of this complication in patients in whom subclavian catheters are used as a vascular access route for hemodialysis or plasmapheresis.