What Researchers Did
Researchers reported a rare case of fatal cerebral air embolism in a 50-year-old woman following percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage.
What They Found
They found that a 50-year-old woman developed extensive cerebral air embolism and acute cerebral infarction 1 week after percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage tube placement. Despite hyperbaric oxygen therapy and medical treatment, the patient unfortunately died due to massive systemic air embolism.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients undergoing percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage should be aware of the extremely rare but potentially fatal complication of cerebral air embolism. Clinicians performing this procedure should be vigilant for signs of air embolism and understand its severe risks.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it is a case report from outside Canada.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, this study's findings are not generalizable to a wider patient population.