Intravascular Femoral Catheter Fracture in A 4-Year-Old with Fallot’s Tetralogy.

The era of rapidly advancing technology has heralded an increase in the use of central lines for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in caring for critically ill children.There has also been an attendant increase in the incidence of catheter-related complications.Femoral cannulation for rapid fluid resuscitation in children with high output fluid losses is lifesaving, but complications like intravascular fracture of the femoral catheter may occur.An urgent surgical or percutaneous retrieval will prevent migration or embolization that could be life-threatening.We report the case of a 4-year-old girl with dextrocardia and tetralogy of Fallot who had hypovolemic shock complicating acute diarrheal disease.She required a femoral venous catheter insertion for rapid fluid replacement.The catheter fractured into her left femoral vein following repeated knee-chest posture but was retrieved by surgical intervention before it could migrate.The use of central lines and their attendant complications have increased in the care of critically ill children.Intravascular catheter fracture and embolization are life-threatening complications that require urgent surgical or percutaneous removal.