title: Systemic Air Embolism Following Diagnostic Bronchoscopy.
abstract: A 51-year-old man was admitted to have a nodule evaluated using chest computed tomography (CT). Shortly after curetting and transbronchial biopsies via bronchoscopy, hypotension, bradycardia, unconsciousness, and left hemiplegia appeared and resolved within one hour. Head CT showed cerebral air embolism. The following day, lower left quadrant pain developed. Pneumatosis intestinalis on abdominal CT and elevation of creatine kinase and troponin T levels indicated air embolism in the mesenteric and coronary arteries. Some reports have documented cerebral air embolism alone after bronchoscopy; however, we should consider systemic air embolism, even when encountering a patient without specific symptoms related to any organ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, National Hospital Organization Kinki-Chuo Chest Medical Center, Japan.
authors.forename: Taisuke
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsuji
authors.forename: Shoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sonobe
authors.forename: Taro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koba
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Maekura
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Kazunobu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tachibana
mesh_terms: D001999:Bronchoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002536:Cerebral Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003331:Coronary Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011006:Pneumatosis Cystoides Intestinalis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed