IntroductionCentral venous access devices are widely used in hospital practice. Complications associated with their use are well described and reviewed. In this paper, we report a former complication that in turn created a new complication during a standardized procedure.Case presentationWe report the case of an 81-year-old Caucasian woman requiring total parenteral nutrition due to a high-debt enterocutaneous fistula. In a previous right subclavian catheterization a fragmentation of the tip of the catheter, probably not recognized at the time, provoked an extrinsic compression of the vessel.ConclusionFragmentation of a central venous catheter is a possible complication of catheterization and can be missed. Control of a catheter is imperative after its removal, even if not always practiced.
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