Pericardial effusion with cardiac tamponade caused by a central venous catheter in a very low birth weight infant

• Published in: The Pan African medical journal Vol. 25; no. 13; p. 13
• Main Authors: Chioukh, Fatma-Zohra, Ameur, Karim Ben, Hmida, Hayet Ben, Monastiri, Kamel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Uganda African Field Epidemiology Network 2016; The African Field Epidemiology Network; The Pan African Medical Journal
• Subjects: cardiac tamponade; Cardiac Tamponade - diagnostic imaging; Cardiac Tamponade - etiology; Cardiac Tamponade - therapy; Case Report; Catheterization, Central Venous - adverse effects; Central Venous Catheters - adverse effects; Echocardiography - methods; Female; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; newborn; pericardial effusion; Pericardial Effusion - diagnostic imaging; Pericardial Effusion - etiology; Pericardial Effusion - therapy; pericardiocentesis; Pericardiocentesis - methods; umbilical central venous catheterization; Umbilical Veins; pericardial effusion; pericardiocentesis; cardiac tamponade; Newborn; umbilical central venous catheterization
• ISSN: 1937-8688; 1937-8688
• DOI: 10.11604/pamj.2016.25.13.8731

With more and more extreme premature and very low-birth weight babies being resuscitated, umbilical central venous catheterisation is now being used more frequently in neonatal intensive care. One of the life-threatening complications is pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade; however, it is potentially reversible when it is caught in time. The authors present a case of cardiac tamponade following umbilical venous catheterisation in a neonate. The patient was diagnosed at the appropriate time by echocardiography and urgent pericardiocentesis proved lifesaving.