[Arterial misplacement of a central venous catheter with a fatal cerebral embolism]

A 26-year-old woman came to hospital with an acute abdomen and a history of abdominal pain for about 6 months. She showed signs of peritonitis and ileus and underwent a laparotomy after initial diagnostic procedures. There was massive terminal ileitis with perforation and localized peritonitis. Resection of the affected bowel was performed over 5 1/2 h without surgical or anesthetic complications. Postoperatively several attempts were made to insert a venous catheter via the internal jugular vein, first on the right and then on the left side. The catheter was finally placed and was used for infusions, although there were some signs that indicated a possible arterial position. Neurological disturbances followed the end of anesthesia; 2 h later the catheter was removed because of arterial malpositioning diagnosed by a blood gas analysis. The patient developed brainstem and cerebellar infarctions and died 2 days later. The main postmortem finding was massive swelling and paleness of the cerebellum and brainstem with macroscopically unaffected supporting arteries. The other main arteries of the head and neck were also unremarkable, except for two healing punctures of the left common carotid artery. Further examination revealed an embolism at the top of the basilar artery. The source was macroscopically obscure; stereomicroscopic examination of the heart showed small dark spots behind one fold of the aortic valve caused by parietal thrombosis of the damaged endothelium. The tip of the misplaced catheter had entered this region and caused the lethal embolism.