Varying clinical presentations of umbilical venous catheter extravasation: A case series

Abstract

Umbilical venous catheter insertion is a common procedure in the neonatal units performed for rapid vascular access. Though relatively safe and easy to perform, suboptimal position of the catheter tip is frequently encountered and can lead to wide range of complications from venous thrombosis, catheter extravasation with extravasation of infusate to intraperitoneal or intrapericardial space, liver injury and cardiac arrhythmias. Identification of catheter extravasation may be difficult and often confused with catheter related infection or necrotising enterocolitis. We present a series of three cases of intraperitoneal extravasation of umbilical venous catheter in the premature neonate with widely varying presentation from subtle biochemical changes to critical clinical signs with rapid and progressive deterioration.