Central venous catheterization is almost routinely used in neonatal intensive care, especially in premature and extremely low-birth-weight infants. One of the rare but life-threatening complications is pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade. In addition to perforation, tamponade may develop with osmotic damage of the fluid administered. This article presents a case of cardiac tamponade due to central venous catheterization in an extremely low birth weight newborn.

Keywords: Cardiac tamponade, central venous catheter, premature, pericardiocentesis