Abstract
Background
Intravenous cannula insertion is important, given that it is the most common invasive
procedure in the emergency department for blood sampling, fluid resuscitation, and
intravenous drug administration. Complications of intravenous catheterization include
pain, phlebitis, extravasation, inflammation, and embolization. Fracture of an intravenous
cannula is rare, but delayed removal may result in secondary damage, such as vasculitis
or embolization, with critical consequences. Here, we report a case of intravenous
cannula fracture that occurred in our emergency department.
Case Presentation
A 63-year-old woman with a history of left ovarian cancer visited our emergency department
owing to poor oral intake and general weakness. Intravenous catheterization using
an 18 gauge cannula was attempted for intravenous fluid administration by a skilled
operator, but it failed owing to collapsed veins and poor skin condition. After several
attempts, a vein in the patient’s hand was ruptured, and the patient complained of
severe pain. The cannula was removed, but one-third of the cannula tip could not be
seen. X-ray imaging was performed to locate the fragment of the cannula, and venotomy
was performed for removal of the foreign body in the emergency department.
Conclusion
Emergency physicians and nurses should be vigilant about potential risk factors that
can cause fracture of an intravenous cannula, and after the fracture is discovered,
rapid removal of the cannula tip should be performed in the emergency department.
Key words
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Biography
Seungho Woo is a Resident, Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6611-7717.
Biography
Sangun Nah is a Clinical Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2667-2211.
Biography
Giwoon Kim is an Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2720-7442.
Biography
Sangsoo Han is an Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea. ORCID identifier: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9709-3332.
Article info
Publication history
Published online: December 31, 2022
Footnotes
Authors Seungho Woo and Sangun Nah contributed equally to this work as first authors.
Submissions to this column are encouraged and may be submitted at jenonline.org where submission instructions can be found in the Author Instructions.
Identification
Copyright
© 2022 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
