A CASE OF SUDDEN DEATH DUE TO BILATERAL TENSION PNEUMOTHORAX AFTER ACUPUNCTURE

Abstract

We report a case of sudden, unexpected death of a 71-year-old woman due to bilateral pneumothorax after acupuncture. The patient experienced dyspnea and subsequently died 6 hours after acupuncture. Autopsy revealed remarkable inferior displacement of the left hemidiaphragm and hemorrhages on the surface of both inferior pulmonary lobes. The deceased had no risk factors for pneumothorax; no underlying pulmonary disease was found and the needles had not been inserted at dangerous therapeutic points. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a death due to pneumothorax after acupuncture that occurred in the absence of relevant risk factors.