摘要
BACKGROUND Cement-related embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication in spinal surgery.Cardiac echocardiography can provide valuable information for the early identification.CASE SUMMARY A 66-year-old woman who underwent lumbar vertebroplasty and internal fixation under general anesthesia experienced an episode of supraventricular tachycardia and ventricular tachycardia at the end of surgery.Point-of-care echocardiogram revealed a foreign body in the right heart.After conservative treatment in the intensive care unit,her family decided on comfort care and she expired.CONCLUSION Transthoracic echocardiography may provide early valuable information in patients undergoing vertebroplasty,and mild-moderate pericardial effusion may be a significant sign of a poor outcome.
