Severe electrolyte disturbances in lethal subclavian catheter dialysis

Syncope, irreversible shock, and respiratory and circulatory arrest developed in a 54-year-old diabetic man chronically dialyzed with a subclavian catheter (SC) minutes after the end of a dialysis session. Resuscitation attempts remained unsuccessful. During the resuscitation attempt, a blood analysis showed severe hyponatremia, acidosis, and hypochloremia. Respiratory and cardiac arrest developed during dialysis in a 64-year-old woman on chronic SC dialysis. Resuscitation was unsuccessful; chloremia levels were 79 mEq/L, and calcemia levels were 20 mg%. Both patients were dialyzed with a standard dialysate solution. The reasons for the electrolyte disturbances could not be explained technically. The autopsy showed myocardial perforation by the SC and accumulation in the pericardium of the fluids administered during the resuscitation attempt (e.g., glucose 5%, bicarbonate, Ca gluconate, human albumines), thus explaining the erroneous electrolyte results. The reason for the perforation was a too-rigid central femoral vein catheter, erroneously labeled a subclavian catheter by the supplying firm. Because of a syndrome of progressive vena subclavia and vena cava sclerosis with insufficient arterial phase flow and venous-phase bleeding around the puncture site during single-needle dialysis, the original SC had to be replaced by a longer one with the tip located in the atrium (this SC was actually a femoral catheter). Analysis of the fluid aspirated through the SC can determine the diagnosis in sudden death of SC dialysis patients.