What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed existing medical literature to identify and analyze cases of air embolism occurring during gastroscopy procedures.
What They Found
The review identified 14 cases of air embolism linked to gastroscopy, with a median patient age of 66 years. Neurological symptoms were present in 9 cases and respiratory issues in 7 cases, while a mucosal breach was the main risk factor in 9 cases. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was utilized in four of these cases, and the overall mortality rate was 57.1%.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted by Canadian authors or institutions. However, it covers air embolism, which is related to arterial gas embolism, a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a literature review of case reports, this study is limited by its retrospective nature and the inherent biases and lack of standardised data collection across individual case reports.