Umbilical catheters are used in the care of critically ill neonates for intravenous treatment. It is generally considered a safe procedure, although complications can occur. Of these, catheter breakage and intravenous migration are rare but potentially life-threatening events. Due to the low frequency of which these events occur, obtaining detailed descriptions of removal techniques can pose a challenge. Here, we describe a case of a broken umbilical vein catheter and the surgical retrieval of the retained fragment. We also present a thorough literature search of cases of broken umbilical catheters and the method by which they were removed.
Keywords: Neonatal health; Paediatric Surgery; Vascular surgery.
© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.