Spinal cord infarct after arterial switch associated with an umbilical artery catheter

• Published in: The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 62; no. 5; pp. 1532 - 1534
• Main Authors: Lemke, Robert P., Idiong, Nnanake, Al-Saedi, Saad, Giddins, Niels G., Ward, Cameron, Hamilton, Andrew, Hawkins, Lois, Hancock, Betty J., Odim, Jonah N.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.11.1996; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiopulmonary Bypass - adverse effects; Catheterization, Peripheral - adverse effects; Congenital heart diseases. Malformations of the aorta, pulmonary vessels and vena cava; Heart; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infarction - diagnosis; Infarction - etiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Paraplegia - etiology; Spine - blood supply; Transposition of Great Vessels - surgery; Umbilical Arteries; Human; Nervous system diseases; Cardiovascular disease; Congenital disease; Case study; Paraplegia; Newborn; Treatment; Heart disease; Surgery; Complication; Transposition of the great vessels; Repair; Spinal cord disease
• ISSN: 0003-4975; 1552-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/0003-4975(96)00778-3

Paraplegia after an open heart operation in a neonate is a rare complication. We report a case of a infant in whom paraplegia developed after a successful arterial switch operation for transposition of the great arteries. The infant was monitored and resuscitated in the preoperative period with umbilical arterial and venous catheter tips located in the midthoracic region. He likely suffered a clinically silent thromboembolic event predisposing him to a localized hemorrhagic infarction during the repair.