A 95-year-old female was transferred to our hospital for the purpose of the treatment of cholangitis due to common bile duct stones. One day after removal of bile duct stones with endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) , she suddenly suffered cardiopulmonary arrest. Prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, and the spontaneous circulation and breathing resumed. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography revealed pulmonary embolisms (PE) in the bilateral pulmonary arteries. PE is known as a common but sometimes fatal complication after surgery, and prophylactic approaches including early ambulation, wearing compression stockings, intermittent pneumatic compression, and anticoagulants have been proposed based on the risk of developing PE. However, only a few reports have focused on the development of PE as a complication after invasive endoscopic procedures. In this article, we discuss the risk factors and the prophylaxis policy against PE after ERCP.
