Related Experiment Videos
Fragmentation and embolization of a plastic-coated guidewire
K C Prewitt1, J R Resar, J A Brinker
1Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland 21287.
Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis
|September 1, 1993
Abstract:
We report a case of fragmentation and embolization to the pulmonary artery of sheared pieces of a recently introduced hydrophilic plastic-coated guidewire. The propensity for this to occur, the lack of initial recognition, and the ability to retrieve the fragments by catheter techniques are emphasized. As these guidewires are more frequently used, physicians should be aware of this potential complication.