Day: July 29, 2020

Premature newborn after placement of two umbilical arterial catheters

AXR of umbilical arterial catheter malposition
Supine AXR shows the tip of one umbilical arterial catheter to be at T5 and the tip of the other umbilical arterial catheter to be at T12. Note on this AP image how after insertion at the umbilicus the umbilical arterial catheters first head caudad in the umbilical artery and internal iliac artery before heading cephalad in the common iliac artery and aorta.

The diagnosis was high malposition (at T5) and low malposition (at T12) of the umbilical arterial catheters.