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Turkiye Klinikleri Cardiovascular Sciences, vol.24, no.3, pp.277-281, 2012 (Scopus)
Umbilical vein catheterization is a common bedside procedure in the neonatal intensive care units. These catheters allow not only for rapid and reliable vascular access, but also for accurate laboratory determination, invasive monitoring, and administration of fluid, medication, parenteral nutrition, and blood products. The most common complications of umbilical vein catheterization are thrombus formation, embolism, vessel perforation, hemorrhage, and infection. Complications related to the liver carry a high risk for mortality, particularly in small premature newborns. Liver complications that are specific to umbilical vein catheterization commonly are the result of malposition of the catheter. Hepatic hematomas and abscesses caused by malposition of umbilical venous catheter in the newborn infant are uncommon lesions. Here we report two premature babies with hepatic complications because of malpositioning of the umbilical vein catheter. Copyright © 2012 by Türkiye Klinikleri.