Pitfalls in internal jugular vein cannulation

Table 1 Complications associated with internal jugular vein cannulation

	Complications
Abnormal anatomy	Right sided arch of aorta
	Congenital persistence of a left-sided vena cava, with or without a bridging innominate vein
Vascular	Arterial injury
	Venous injury (lacerations of the vena cava, the mediastinal vessels, and the right atrium)
	Bleeding
	Hematoma
Neural	Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury
	Vocal cord palsy
	Sympathetic chain injury
	Brachial plexus injury
	Phrenic nerve injury
	Horner’s syndrome
Pulmonary	Pneumothorax
	Pneumomediastinum
	Chylothorax
	Tracheal injury
	Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve
	Air embolus
Cardiac	Premature atrial and ventricular contractions
	Arrythmias
	Injury to tricuspid valves,
	Perforation of right ventricle
	Cardiac tamponade
	Cardiac arrest
Lymphatic	Iatrogenic lymphatic
	Thoracic duct injuries
Device related	Fibrin sheath formation
	Fracture
	Thrombosis
	Central venous stenosis
	Infection