A case of delayed death after accidental intravenous injection of thrombin.

A delayed death which occurred after accidental injection of thrombin into the right subclavian vein is described. The patient was given heparin intravenously after an erroneous intravenous injection of thrombin and died from lobar pneumonia 3 months afterwards without any apparently ill effects on the circulation of the body except for the brain. At autopsy, however, a large thrombus was observed extending continuously from the superior vena cava to the pulmonary trunk, via the right atrium and ventricle. From the results it was concluded that there was a causal relationship between the inadvertent intravenous administration of thrombin and death.