Anesthesia Fatality due to Bile Aspiration: Lessons to be Learnt

Abstract

Anesthetic related fatality is rare in this time and age in young patients who are ASA II (American Society of Anesthesiologists). Our patient had a very unfortunate anesthetic mortality due to aspiration of bilious vomit. A posthumous diagnosis of post Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangio-pancreatography (ERCP) pancreatitis leading to ileus was missed before surgery. There is a brief literature search about perils of bile aspiration, post ERCP pancreatitis and why pancreatitis is a lethal combination with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).