Supraventricular tachycardia precipitated by a peripherally inserted central catheter

Central venous catheters extending into intracardiac chambers can provoke premature atrial and ventricular complexes, which have been reported to initiate supraventricular tachyarrhythmias. These catheters are traditionally placed via the femoral, subclavian, or internal jugular veins. A new alternative to the conventional central catheter for patients requiring access to large veins is the peripherally inserted central (PIC) catheter. Since its proximal end is of small caliber, a PIC catheter can be mistaken for a peripheral intravenous catheter. The distal end, however, usually extends into the superior vena cava and may be erroneously advanced into intracardiac chambers. The authors report a case of a PIC catheter precipitating supraventricular reentrant tachycardia in a previously asymptomatic patient.