Dialysis catheter-related pulmonary embolism in a patient with paraquat intoxication

Li-Keng Chao^a, Te-Chao Fang^{b, c},

^a Department of Internal Medicine, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
^b Department of Internal Medicine, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
^c Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Medicine, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan

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Open Access funded by Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

Abstract

A 30-year-old woman was sent to the emergency room after alcohol and paraquat ingestion. After three sessions of hemoperfusion via the indwelling double-lumen catheter, the patient could tolerate ambient air and her urine output was good. However, on the 10th day of hospitalization, she had a sudden onset of dyspnea and hypoxia. Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed by a computed tomography pulmonary angiogram. The patient recovered after anticoagulation therapy. We could find no reports of dyspnea caused by pulmonary embolism in patients with paraquat intoxication. Here, we present this rare case; the indwelling double-lumen catheter might have been a cause of the pulmonary embolism.

Keywords

Double-lumen catheter; Paraquat intoxication; Pulmonary embolism