Table 1. Demographics and procedural specifics identified in case reports of systemic arterial gas embolism occurring during bronchoscopic biopsy procedures.
| Demographics | All patients (n=29) |
|---|---|
| Age | 65±15 |
| Gender* | |
| Male | 17 (65%) |
| Female | 9 (35%) |
| Prior history of lung disease | |
| Obstructive | 8 (28%) |
| Restrictive | 3 (10%) |
| History of lung resection | 3 (10%) |
| Procedure | |
| Types of biopsy performed | |
| Transbronchial forceps biopsy | 16 (55%) |
| Transbronchial needle aspiration | 11 (38%) |
| Endobronchial forceps biopsy | 2 (7%) |
| Bronchial curettage | 2 (7%) |
| No biopsy performed∆ | 1 (3%) |
| Type of sedationΦ | |
| Topical analgesia only | 4 (21%) |
| Moderate sedation | 12 (63%) |
| General anesthesia | 3 (16%) |
| Type of ventilationΨ | |
| Spontaneous, negative pressure | 23 (88%) |
| Positive pressure | 3 (12%) |
| Coughing at time of biopsy | 8 (28%) |
| Moderate to severe bleeding | 6 (21%) |
Continuous measures reported as mean ± standard deviation; categorical measures reported as number (percentage). *, reported in 26/29 cases; ∆, gas embolism occurred after oxygen insufflation prior to planned biopsy. Φ, reported in 19/29 cases; Ψ, reported in 26/29 cases.