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 tra nsducer monitoring usually allow for the prompt recognition of the accident al 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.