Management of trapped microwire during femoral arterial access in a pediatric patient

Femoral arterial access complications (e.g., arteriovenous fistula, pseudoaneurysm, vessel dissection, haematoma and vasospasm) are not uncommon and are likely underreported in the pediatric population. We present a case of severe vasospasm with microwire entrapment during attempted femoral arterial access in a 20-month-old. Successful microwire removal was achieved after systemic administration of nitroglycerin using a combination of pharmacological techniques that benefited from close collaboration between the interventional neuroradiology, pediatric interventional cardiology and anaesthesia teams.