Fatal airway obstruction due to endobronchial bleeding post cryobiopsy: a case report

Cryobiopsy offers an advantage because of the extraction of more extensive tissue and enhanced diagnostic accuracy. However, the risk of bleeding from the biopsy site is higher. We report a lung tumor patient who experienced bleeding in the right main bronchus after cryobiopsy. Suctioning was performed, cold saline was administered, and the bleeding stopped. Five minutes after the procedure, the patient experienced desaturation. A re-bronchoscopy found massive bleeding in the right main bronchus which spread to the left main bronchus. Suctioning was performed, cold saline and epinephrine were administered. Before further treatment was given, the patient got cardiac arrest and he was treated in the intensive care unit. This highlighted the importance of training and considering the additional precautions for bleeding control. Intensive monitoring of the patients is needed when performing cryobiopsy to prepare for the early management of complications, especially for those patients with risk factors for bleeding in cryobiopsy.