Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37160632›Full record

ArticleForensic science, medicine, and pathology2024

Fatal cardiac air embolism after CT-guided percutaneous needle lung biopsy: medical complication or medical malpractice?

Nicola Pigaiani, Giulio Barbiero, Elisabetta Balestro, Francesco Ausania, Brandi McCleskey, Erica Begni, Federica Bortolotti, Matteo Brunelli, Domenico De Leo

Open access · hybridAbstract readCase Reports
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Forensic science, medicine, and pathology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Nicola PigaianiUnit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, 37134, Italy. nicola.pigaiani@univr.it.ORCID 0000-0003-3186-4955
Giulio BarbieroUnit of Radiology, Department of Medicine, University of Padova, University Hospital, 35128, Padua, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-1157-3635
Elisabetta BalestroUnit of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, University Hospital, 35128, Padua, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1373-8197
Francesco AusaniaUnit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, 37134, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1211-8551
Brandi McCleskeyDivision of Forensics, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1515 6th Avenue South, Room 220, Birmingham, AL, 35233, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-5692-139X
Erica BegniUnit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, 37134, Italy.
Federica BortolottiUnit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, 37134, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-9568-4585
Matteo BrunelliUnit of Pathology, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, 37134, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-3832-2676
Domenico De LeoUnit of Forensic Medicine, Department of Diagnostics and Public Health, University of Verona, Piazzale L.A. Scuro 10, Verona, 37134, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7399-311X
University of Verona · ITUniversity of Padua · ITUniversity of Alabama at Birmingham · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Computed tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of the lung is a well-recognized and relatively safe diagnostic procedure for suspicious lung masses. Systemic air embolism (SAE) is a rare complication of transthoracic percutaneous lung biopsies. Herein, we present a case of an 81-year-old man who underwent CT-guided percutaneous needle biopsy of a suspicious nodule in the lower lobe of the right lung. Shortly after the procedure, the patient coughed up blood which prompted repeat CT imaging. He was found to have a massive cardiac air embolism. The patient became unresponsive and, despite resuscitation efforts, was pronounced dead. The pathophysiology, risk factors, clinical features, radiological evidence, and autopsy findings associated with SAE are discussed, which may, in light of the current literature, assist with the dilemma between assessing procedural complications and medical liability. Given the instances of SAE in the setting of long operative procedures despite careful technical execution, providing accurate and in-depth information, including procedure-related risks, even the rarest but potentially fatal ones, is recommended for informed consent to reduce medicolegal litigation issues.

Indexed as

Embolism, AirMalpracticeAged, 80 and overBiopsy, NeedleHumansImage-Guided BiopsyLungMaleTomography, X-Ray ComputedComplicationsCT-guided percutaneous needle biopsyFatal cardiac air embolismForensic pathologyLung biopsy

Identifiers

PMID37160632
PMCPMC10944409
OpenAlexW4376121427

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.