Central venous access is an important aspect of
neonatal intensive care management. Malpositioned central
catheters have been reported to induce cardiac
tachyarrhythmia in adult populations and there are case reports within the neonatal population. We present a case of a preterm neonate with a preexisting umbilical venous
catheter (UVC), who then developed a
supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). This was initially treated with intravenous
adenosine with transient reversion.
Catheter migration was subsequently detected, with the UVC tip located within the heart. Upon withdrawal of the UVC and a final dose of
adenosine, the
arrhythmia permanently resolved. Our literature review confirms that
tachyarrhythmia is a rare but recognised neonatal complication of malpositioned
central venous catheters. We recommend the immediate investigation of central
catheter position when managing neonatal
tachyarrhythmia, as
catheter repositioning is an essential aspect of management.