Embolisation of the Coronary Arterial Tree with Thick Contrast Material during Coronary Angiography

Waleed M Ghaleb1, Abdelfatah Elasfar1, Mohsen Alarbash1

  • 1Department of Cardiology, Almadinah Cardiac Centre, Almadinah, Saudi Arabia.

Insights

A rare case of contrast embolisation during coronary angiography caused a patient

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology and Interventional Radiology

Background:

  • Acute myocardial infarction requires timely intervention, often involving coronary angiography.
  • Complications during procedures like percutaneous coronary intervention can be life-threatening.

Observation:

  • A 58-year-old male undergoing primary PCI for inferior STEMI experienced sudden collapse.
  • The patient presented with severe hypotension and bradycardia during the procedure.
  • Symptoms were suspected to be caused by accidental embolisation of the left coronary system.

Findings:

  • The cause of collapse was attributed to abnormally thick contrast material.
  • Investigation revealed the contrast agent in the bottle was unusually viscous.
  • This represents a rare instance of contrast material embolisation.

Implications:

  • Accidental contrast embolisation is a potentially fatal but preventable complication.
  • Careful quality control of contrast media is crucial during interventional procedures.
  • Awareness of this rare event is important for interventional cardiologists and radiologists.

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