Key result
Pericardiocentesis risks inadvertent pulmonary artery cannulation, underscoring the need for adjunctive imaging guidance.
Why the study?
Pericardiocentesis complications vary by patient risk factors and procedural indications, with rare but serious mishaps like cardiac chamber perforation and pigtail catheter misplacement unreported.
Case Report
Highlights a rare but severe complication of pericardiocentesis and emphasizes the importance of adjunctive imaging to prevent it.
Alerts clinicians to rare pericardiocentesis risks; case report leaves open whether routine adjunctive imaging improves safety.
Pericardiocentesis is a challenging procedure and complications may vary depending on the patient-specific risk factors and procedural indications. Cardiac chamber perforation and the subsequent insertion of pigtail catheter into the main pulmonary artery are an unreported mishap during attempted pericardiocentesis. This potentially life-threatening complication is completely preventable by identification of high-risk patients and appropriate use of available technologies. Adjunctive imaging decreases procedural risk for difficult-to-access pericardial fluid collections and must be used to prevent inadvertent morbidities.
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Narula et al. (2018) conducted a case report in Pericardial fluid collection. Pericardiocentesis was evaluated on Cardiac chamber perforation and insertion of pigtail catheter into the main pulmonary artery. Pericardiocentesis can result in cardiac chamber perforation and inadvertent insertion of a pigtail catheter into the main pulmonary artery, a complication preventable with adjunctive imaging.
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