Supraventricular tachycardia and cardiac embolization following umbilical vein catheterization

Abstract

Abstract Umbilical venous catheter is a routine procedure in the neonatal intensive care unit used in securing intravenous access for various purposes, but malpositioning of this catheter can lead to life-threatening complications. We report the case of a female infant of a mother with gestational diabetes who was admitted in the special care baby unit at 1 h of life for prematurity, hypoglycemia, and presumed neonatal sepsis. She developed supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) within 24 h of having an umbilical catheter inserted for intravenous access; she later developed multiple intracardiac emboli. She was treated with digoxin, frusemide, Aldactone, heparin, antibiotics, and dextrose with the resolution of the intracardiac emboli. This case highlights some of the uncommon but serious risks of umbilical catheterization, which could be SVT and the possibility of developing an intracardiac embolus. In resource-poor settings where ultrasound-guided umbilical catheterization is limited, cardiac arrhythmias should be recognized as a potential complication of umbilical catheterization, which requires early intervention and treatment.