[Fatal pulmonary embolism during knee surgery under epidural anesthesia].
A 36 year old male patient suddenly died of pulmonary embolism during the second application of a pneumatic tourniquet undergoing tibial fracture repair. Pulmonary artery angiography using Swan-Ganz catheter demonstrated that the left and right pulmonary arteries were occluded except the partial left upper lobe. PaO2 was below 7 mmHg, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation was not possible. Autopsy showed massive emboli completely blocking the both pulmonary arteries.
Kato
S
S
Department of Anesthesiology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara.
Okada
K
K
Sakuramoto
C
C
Okutomi
T
T
Takenaka
T
T
Goto
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000767:Anesthesia, Epidural; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications; D008297:Male; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D013978:Tibial Fractures / Q000601:surgery; D014111:Tourniquets / Q000009:adverse effects*