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Postmortem Identification of a Foreign Body in the Heart: A Case Report
Kamil Şahin1,2, Adem Tartıcı3, Bora Özdemir3
1Council of Forensic Medicine, Ministry of Justice, Bahçelievler, Istanbul, Turkey. drkamil_sahin@hotmail.com.
Pediatric Cardiology
|October 10, 2024
Summary
A pediatric patient tragically died when a broken angiocath tip migrated to the right ventricle, piercing the heart wall. This rare event highlights the critical need for healthcare professionals to verify catheter integrity after removal.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Medical Device Complications
Background:
- Foreign bodies in the heart are rare, particularly in pediatric patients.
- Angiography catheter breakage can lead to severe injury or death.
- Previous reports primarily involve adult patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To report a unique case of a pediatric patient's death due to a fractured angiocath tip.
- To raise awareness among healthcare professionals about this rare complication.
- To emphasize the importance of post-removal catheter integrity checks.
Main Methods:
- Case presentation of a 4.5-month-old female.
- Review of medical history including peripheral venous access with angiocatheters.
- Autopsy findings detailing the migrated catheter tip and cardiac perforation.
Main Results:
- A 1.5 cm angiocath tip was found to have penetrated the right ventricular wall.
- The patient experienced bradycardia and arrhythmia prior to death.
- Death was attributed to complications from the catheter tip embolism and cardiac perforation.
Conclusions:
- Healthcare providers must meticulously check the integrity of peripheral catheters upon removal.
- Documenting catheter integrity can prevent catastrophic events like this.
- This case underscores the potential risks associated with peripheral vascular access devices in infants.
