Atraumatic, nonsurgical technic for removal of broken catheters from cardiac cavities.

THE complications of indwelling intravenous polyethylene catheters for monitoring of central venous pressure and for therapeutic infusions are well known. One of these, embolization of a severed portion or of the whole catheter, has been observed several times since it was first described in 1954.1 Reported below is such a case, with the description of a nonsurgical technic for removal of the catheter. Case Report E.H., a 60-year-old cirrhotic man was admitted to the hospital with severe hepatic insufficiency, coma and shock. An Intracath§ was introduced into the superior vena cava by means of percutaneous subclavian puncture for the purpose . . .