Effectiveness of a Hockey-Stick Probe to Localize a Catheter Fragment in a Dog

Abstract

Intravenous catheterization is a common procedure in human and veterinary medicine. Occasionally, a catheter might break within the blood vessel, and the fragment may cause embolization, infections, or other severe complications, and therefore must be removed promptly. For a successful and low-risk removal, the fragment should be localized accurately; however, ultrasound may be challenging to perform on small dogs due to inadequate probes. We report the case of a 2-year-old, 2.6 kg, intact female toy poodle that presented to the veterinary medical center owing to a recent onion intake; the owner requested to induce emesis. A 24 gauge peripheral intravenous catheter was inserted into the cephalic vein prior to the emetic injection. When the clinician removed the catheter, a device breakage was observed. A tourniquet was applied immediately proximal to the elbow. Ultrasonography was performed with a high-frequency small-footprint linear array transducer, also called a hockey-stick probe, to localize the fragment. An additional ultrasound was performed before surgery to confirm the location of the catheter piece, which migrated 5 cm proximally. Afterward, a surgical intervention allowed us to retrieve the fragment. This report highlights the effectiveness of a hockey-stick probe to determine the location of a catheter fragment in small breed dogs.