RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter placement has increased dramatically in the past two decades. However, literature supporting the efficacy of these devices has been limited and controversial. In the present study, we have evaluated the predictors and rates of technical complications after IVC filter insertion in a large national database. METHODS: The Vascular Quality Initiative registry was explored (January 2013 to December 2020). Immediate complications were defined as venous injury requiring treatment, filter misplacement (failure to open, deployed >20 mm from intended site or in wrong vein, embolized to the heart), angulation >20°, and insertion site complications. Delayed complications were defined as migration, angulation >15°, fracture, caval and/or iliac thrombosis, filter thrombus, fragment embolization, and perforation. The Pearson χ2 test was used to compare the baseline characteristics between the patients who had developed immediate and/or delayed complications and those who had not. The predictors of these complications were evaluated using multivariable logistic regression, Cox proportional hazard regression, and Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. RESULTS: A total of 14,784 patients were included in the present analysis, with a median follow-up of 11 months (interquartile range, 4-16 months). The rate of immediate and delayed complications was 1.8% and 3.1%, respectively. Angulation (1.2%) was the most common immediate complication, and filter thrombosis (1.6%) was the most common delayed complication. Compared with the patients with no immediate complications, those with immediate complications were more likely to have had abnormal anatomy (6.0% vs 1.7%; P < .001) and a landing zone other than infrarenal (7.0% vs 4.2%; P = .02). Compared with their counterparts, those with delayed complications were less likely to have received statins (21.0% vs 29.5%; P = .006) and were more likely to have a family history of venous thromboembolism (8.0% vs 5.1%; P = .047). Logistic regression analysis revealed that renal vein visualization was associated a 50% reduction (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.50; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.27-0.92; P = .027) in the odds of immediate complications and female sex and abnormal anatomy were associated with a 41% (aOR, 1.41; 95% CI, 1.08-1.85; P = .013) and 244% (aOR, 3.44; 95% CI, 1.66-7.16; P < .001) increase in the odds of immediate complications, respectively. Immediate (P = .21) and delayed (P = .51) complications did not result in increased mortality. CONCLUSIONS: The immediate and delayed IVC filter complication rates were 1.8% and 3.1%, respectively, but the occurrence of complications was not associated with increased mortality. Female sex was associated with an increase in the development of immediate complications. The incidence of immediate complications might be mitigated if advanced imaging were used for renal vein visualization before IVC filter deployment. Delayed complications might be avoided if IVC filter retrieval were performed in a timely fashion and institutional retrieval protocols were optimized.
Asunto(s)
Embolia Pulmonar , Filtros de Vena Cava , Tromboembolia Venosa , Humanos , Femenino , Filtros de Vena Cava/efectos adversos , Factores de Riesgo , Factores de Tiempo , Tromboembolia Venosa/etiología , Estimación de Kaplan-Meier , Vena Cava Inferior/diagnóstico por imagen , Estudios Retrospectivos , Resultado del Tratamiento , Embolia Pulmonar/etiologíaRESUMEN
We present the computed tomography findings in a patient with a fractured IVC filter and migration of a broken strut to the right lower quadrant. The filter morphology and strut fragment are well demonstrated on volume rendered images confirming the value of volumetric 3D computed tomography imaging to evaluate IVC filter integrity and identify migrated filter fragments.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava (IVC) filter and filter limb embolization is a known phenomenon, with a prevalence of up to 25% for certain filter types. Most commonly, the site of embolization is to the heart. Point-of-care ultrasound is an easily accessible imaging modality that should be utilized when considering IVC filter complications. CASE REPORT: A 28-year-old woman with a history of metastatic sarcoma and IVC filter placement for deep venous thrombosis presented to the Emergency Department (ED) for chest pain. Chest radiography was reviewed and originally thought to have no abnormalities. Chest computed tomography angiography was negative for filling defects or foreign bodies. A possible foreign body in the heart was noted by a radiologist's over-read of the original chest radiograph. An echocardiogram done by Cardiology was negative for foreign bodies or other abnormalities. Next, an emergency physician performed a bedside echocardiogram, with focused attention to the right side of the heart. An echogenic foreign body was visualized in the right ventricle. The patient was subsequently taken to the cardiac catheterization laboratory, where fluoroscopic visualization of a limb wire of an IVC filter within the right ventricle was obtained. That foreign body was subsequently removed successfully, along with removal of the broken IVC filter. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: This case report highlights the utility of point-of-care ultrasound in the work-up of a patient with an embolized IVC filter wire. Chest pain patients frequently receive point-of-care echocardiography in the ED, and these ultrasound findings should be recognized and used to guide further treatment and consultation.