title: [Lethal portal venous gas after cardiopulmonary arrest].
abstract: We report the case of a 51-year-old patient admitted after a transient cardiorespiratory arrest. The abdominal CT scan revealed the presence of hepatic portal venous gas. At laparotomy, a diffuse mesenteric ischaemia was diagnosed. The patient died from multiple organ failure in the subsequent hours. Necrotic bowel is associated with hepatic portal venous gas in 50% of the cases and the current mortality rate is 85%. Gas originates either through intestinal transmucosal passage, either by intraportal bacterial gas production, or through both mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Département d'anesthésie-réanimation, hôpital Nord, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Thomachot
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vialet
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Albanèse
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin
mesh_terms: D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D006323:Heart Arrest / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000209:etiology*; D009336:Necrosis; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed