Premature newborn whose newly placed umbilical venous catheter has just been flushed

Cardiovascular
AXR of portal venous gas from an umbilical venous catheter in the right portal vein
CXR AP shows the tip of the umbilical venous catheter to be in the right portal vein. There is air in the portal venous system. The umbilical arterial catheter projects at T9. There is mild ground-glass opacity in the lungs.

The diagnosis was portal venous gas caused by air being injected through the umbilical venous catheter which was malpositioned in the liver. The umbilical arterial catheter is appropriately positioned in a patient with respiratory distress syndrome.

Published