Central venous access: Accidental arterial puncture in a patient with right-sided aortic arch

Objective: To describe an unusual case of accidental insertion of a central line into an anomalous right-sided aortic arch. Design: Case report, clinical. Settings: Community hospital, university-affiliated. Conclusions: Intraoperative radioscopy, chest radiographs, and pressure transducer monitoring usually allow for the prompt recognition of the accidental insertion of venous catheters into the arterial system. However, in the presence of a right-sided aortic arch, a central line could be erroneously inserted into the arterial system and the radiologic findings can give the false impression of a correct placement in the superior vena cava.