Central venous catheter vascular erosions. Diagnosis and clinical course.

Central venous catheter (CVC) vascular erosions are difficult to diagnose, and they cause serious complications. From 1985 to 1987, ten patients receiving the surgical services at the University of Florida suffered CVC vascular erosions. By chest roentgenogram, nine CVC tips were in the superior vena cava (SVC), although three catheter tips abutted the lateral wall of the SVC. One catheter tip was in the right atrium. All patients had sudden onset of symptoms, the most common of which was shortness of breath. Initial diagnosis was respiratory insufficiency in five patients, cardiac failure in three patients, pulmonary embolism in one, and sepsis in one. Four patients required intensive care. Two patients suffered pericardial tamponade, and pleural effusions developed in eight patients. One patient died of cardiac arrest. The average time interval from CVC placement to onset of symptoms was 60.2 hours, and from the onset of symptoms to the time of diagnosis, the interval was 16.7 hours. The mean volume obtained at thoracentesis was 1324 ml and at pericardiocentesis was 250 ml.