Abstract

The risk of pulmonary thromboemboli due to the central catheters is 12-36%. The main risk factors for thromboemboli defined by Virchow as stasis, hypercoagulability and intimal injury occur during catheterization. It is known that there is a tendency in the presence of the thrombus in lower and upper extremities in some conditions such as genetic predisposition, cancer, obesity, history of surgery, trauma and immobilization. In these patients during catheterization the thrombus can be mobilized and pass to the pulmonary arterial circulation because of the mechanical effects of the catheter. In our clinic, in two cases with risk factors of deep vein thrombosis pulmonary thromboemboli developed during central venous catheterization. For this reason, in patients who develop dyspnea, chest pain and a fall in arterial oxygen saturation during venous catheter placement to upper extremity veins (subclavian, axillary, internal jugular vein) pulmonary thromboemboli should be considered in the differential diagnosis.