Cardiovascular Curveball #001
This 86 year-old male presented with shortness of breath. He developed a complication after insertion of a left chest drain.
This CT scan demonstrates that complication:
Questions
the chest drain is in the left ventricle.
- Clamping the drain to prevent exsanguination is a good first step!
- Not taking the drain out is a good second step.
- The next step is to prepare the patient for cardiac surgery to remove the drain and repair the heart. In this patient, removing the drain and repairing the heart was achieved via a mini thoractomy.
Put your finger in the hole!
One of the most important steps in the insertion of an intercostal catheter is to insert a finger through the hole you have just made. Do this before inserting the intercostal catheter.
Using your finger you can detect any adhesions that may lead to penetration of the lung on insertion of the intercostal catheter, as well as the presence of underlying organs such as a beating heart!
In this case, the intercostal catheter is a one from a Seldinger kit. If you are going to use one of these kits, you should do an ultrasound to make sure that there really is a pleural effusion that can be safely drained.
About Paul Young
'In the Fast Lane': Cardiovascular Curveball #001 http://su.pr/2jNbnR and Radiological Oddity #018 http://su.pr/20sUVi
What would you do if you were thrown this 'Cardiovascular Curveball'? http://su.pr/2jNbnR
Would love for you to submit this to SurgeXperiences. Thanks
Eeek! RT @precordialthump: What would you do if you were thrown this 'Cardiovascular Curveball'? http://su.pr/2jNbnR
Amazing that even in 2009 people are practicing medicine in the dark ages. Has ultrasound been around long enough for you to have heard about it? Putting “fingers in” is what surgeons do to give all their patients MRSA.