Identification of Inadvertent Azygous Vein Cannulation Using Transthoracic Echocardiography During Venoarterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation Initiation

摘要

class="kwd-title">Keywords: ECMO, Azygous vein, Cannulation, Transthoracic echocardiography class="head no_bottom_margin" id="sec1title">IntroductionIt is well known that optimal cannula positioning during initiation of venoarterial (VA) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is directly related to ECMO circuit function. Malpositioned cannulae can have deleterious effects on clinical outcomes, and inadvertent cannulation of the azygous vein during initiation of ECMO is a rare but potentially devastating complication that has been reported only a few times in the literature. Here we report a case of azygous vein cannulation in a neonate that was not identified on chest radiography but was recognized and corrected expeditiously with the use of transthoracic echocardiography.