What Researchers Did
Researchers reported a case of massive systemic air embolism that occurred during percutaneous radiofrequency ablation of a primary lung tumour.
What They Found
At the end of the procedure, the patient experienced a sudden myocardial infarction, ventricular fibrillation, cardiac arrest, and cerebral infarction. Thoracic computed tomography revealed an air-blood level in the left atrium, ventricle, aortic arch, and coronary arteries, while cerebral computed tomography showed a frontoparietal infarct. Resuscitation, including hyperbaric oxygenation, successfully treated the myocardial infarction and stroke.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings cannot be generalized to a larger patient population.