What Researchers Did
Researchers described the case of an 82-year-old woman who experienced a severe air embolism during a procedure to change a biliary stent.
What They Found
An 82-year-old woman suffered an air embolism and immediate cardiac arrest during an ERCP procedure. A body scan confirmed gas embolism in the liver, right heart, and brain. Despite cardiopulmonary resuscitation and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, she died 12 days later due to poor neurological recovery, even though the air embolism had disappeared on a follow-up CT scan.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
This case highlights the potential for serious complications like air embolism during endoscopic procedures such as ERCP. For Canadian patients undergoing similar procedures, it underscores the importance of rapid diagnosis using imaging like a body scan if an air embolism is suspected. While hyperbaric oxygen therapy was used, this case shows that outcomes can still be fatal in severe instances.
Canadian Relevance
This study covers arterial gas embolism, which is a Health Canada-recognized indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Study Limitations
As a single case report, the findings from this study cannot be generalized to all patients or situations.