A fatal complication of ultrasound‐guided abdominal paracentesis

• Published in: Journal of clinical ultrasound Vol. 41; no. 7; pp. 457 - 460
• Main Authors: Seidler, Matthew, Sayegh, Karl, Roy, Anne, Mesurolle, Benoît
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01-09-2013
• Subjects: Aged; Ascites - diagnostic imaging; Ascites - surgery; embolization; Fatal Outcome; Hemoperitoneum - etiology; hemorrhage; Humans; interventional; Male; paracentesis; Paracentesis - adverse effects; Paracentesis - methods; Ultrasonic imaging; ultrasonography; Ultrasonography, Doppler; Ultrasonography, Interventional; paracentesis; embolization; ultrasonography; interventional; hemorrhage
• ISSN: 0091-2751; 1097-0096
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.22050

ABSTRACT
Ultrasound‐guided abdominal paracentesis is a procedure that is frequently performed by radiologists for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. This procedure has been shown to be safe with few complications. We report the case of a patient who underwent an ultrasound‐guided therapeutic abdominal paracentesis for refractory ascites complicated by intraperitoneal hemorrhage leading to death. This case suggests that ultrasound‐guided paracentesis may need to become a more standardized procedure and that in the event of hemorrhage, alternative treatment options such as embolization or surgical intervention should be utilized when manual compression fails. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 41:457–460, 2013;