64-Year-Old Dies After Doctors Remove A 7.8 Inch Blood Clot From His Lungs

A 64-year-old patient died after the doctors pulled out a 7.8-inch long blood clot from his lungs. The man was rushed to London NHS hospital run by the Imperial College Healthcare trust when he complained of severe back pain and fever.

He was in septic shock when brought to the hospital. In the ICU, he was intubated and ventilated due to respiratory failure and his blood culture revealed infective endocarditis. According to the case report published in the British Medical Journal, the patient had a history of bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement.

A CT scan of his brain revealed lesions and pulmonary edema. He was also reported to be suffering from a severe staph infection.

When he began coughing up blood, the doctors found that he had a large pale blood clot that was stuck inside his breathing tube. And despite several attempts, they were unable to remove the clot via suction. The doctors reported that owing to night time, the resources needed for rigid bronchoscopy were not available and having confirmed a grade I view of the epiglottis, he became sedated, paralyzed and extubated when they tried to remove the clot.

Given that the patient had extremely low oxygen saturation and since the doctors suspected endobronchial obstruction, they decided to perform a bronchoscopy when they visualized a large pale blood clot adherent to the endotracheal tube (ETT). The clot measured about 20cm (7.8 inches) long and its shape resembled the inside of a lung with five branches coming off its sides.

Although the doctors were successful at removing the clot, the patient’s breathing that improved immediately could not sustain. He didn't die because of the treatment procedure but due to other ailments including, breathing problems, low blood pressure, bowel cancer, and coughing up blood. With his family’s acceptance, they decided to turn off the life support and the patient passed away shortly afterward.