Femoral venous catheter: intraperitoneal placement

Central venous cannulation through femoral veins is known to be associated with various complications. Early complications include extravasation and collection of blood, fluid, and/or contrast material in the retroperitoneal spaces or the peritoneal cavity, whereas late complications include abdominal compartment syndrome (ACS). A 30-year-old patient was admitted to the emergency department and brought into the operating room with a preliminary diagnosis of pelvic fracture and acute abdomen. An intravenous catheter was placed into the peripheral vein and a central venous catheter in the femoral vein, in the emergency room through which blood was transfused. At the start of the operation, it was found that intraperitoneal bleeding was caused by a perforation associated with the femoral catheter. We conclude that in the case of acute abdomen, if the femoral venous catheter was already placed in the emergency room, proper placement should be confirmed with ultrasound imaging. Key words: Central venous catheterization; Femoral vein; Complications; Acute abdomen; Ultrasound imaging; Emergency care Citation: Piskinel Y, Sahap M, Balci CA, Gulec H, Erkilic E, But A. Femoral venous catheter: intraperitoneal placement. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2021;25(2):203-205. DOI: 10.35975/apic.v25i2.1466 Received: 23 November 2020. Reviewed: 10 February 2021, Accepted: 1 February 2021