ABSTRACT
Aim: Venous air embolism is a rare but potentially life threatening complication of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography. Diagnosis is difficult because of the lack of specific signs or symptoms. Case: A 62-year-old man underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography for choledocholithiasis. A cardiovascular collapse occurred during the procedure. The echocardiography showed air within the right ventricle. Aspiration of air from the right ventricle was done and saved the patient's life. Conclusion: We highlight through this case that increased awareness is essential for prompt recognition of the air embolism to allow life-saving therapy.
Endoscopic treatment is the first-line treatment for biliary stones. It may be associated with various complications. We report the case of a 62-year-old patient who underwent endoscopic treatment for biliary stone. During the procedure, he experienced disturbed cardiac function due to the passage of air bubbles into the cardiac cavities. The bubbles were aspirated with a good outcome.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The early diagnosis of pneumonia following severe blunt chest trauma (SBCT) allows the early prescription of antibiotics and initiation of adequate supportive care. AIM: To assess the usefulness of C-reactive protein (CRP) in the early diagnosis of pneumonia complicating SBCT. METHODS: We conducted a prospective study of patients admitted to trauma intensive care unit for SBCT between January 2020 and February 2023. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether or not they developed pneumonia. The CRP levels were monitored daily. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-seven patients were included. Pneumonia occurred in 40.1% of patients within a median of 5 days. We found statistically significant difference in mean CRP levels between groups from day 3 to day 9 following trauma. The increase in CRP level on the 4th day from a value greater than or equal to 192 mg/L was a marker of early diagnosis of pneumonia (sensitivity 80.6%; specificity 80.8%). CONCLUSION: Daily CRP measurement from the 3rd day following SBCT may be useful for early diagnosis of pneumonia complicating SBCT.