Case Study of a Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter’s Migration into the Pulmonary Artery

An untoward event took place in Australia in 2011 involving a patient whose entire peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) migrated into his pulmonary artery. At this particular rural hospital, a small vascular access team was initially formed; however, the PICC insertion procedure was taken over by a physician intensivist and his medical residents, who learned the procedure from him during their 3-month rotations. The distal portion of the patient’s PICC, attached initially to a distal catheter-stabilizing device, dislodged and was drawn into the vein. The patient’s PICC, now in his pulmonary artery, was retrieved via interventional radiology and the patient experienced no serious side effects from this event. This case highlights the importance of using only highly trained personnel who are familiar with the medical supplies to insert PICCs.