Suspected Pulmonary Embolism after Oxygen-Ozone Therapy for Low Back Pain
Chirchiglia D, Chirchiglia P, Stroscio C, Volpentesta G, et al. Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A: Central European Neurosurgery, 2019.
- Study type
- Case report
- People studied
- 1 person
- Population
- Elderly woman treated with oxygen-ozone therapy for lumbar pain caused by disk protrusion
- Published
- 2019, Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A: Central European Neurosurgery
- Identifiers
- PMID 31430795, DOI 10.1055/s-0039-1685197
What the authors reported
An elderly woman treated with oxygen-ozone therapy for lumbar pain from a disk protrusion had a suspected pulmonary embolism followed by sudden death. The authors believe a massive pulmonary embolism occurred, probably caused by an intradiskal injection that accidentally punctured a venous vessel and created emboli.
What limits this result
Single case report, read from the abstract only. The embolism is described as suspected and its cause as the authors' belief; the abstract gives no age beyond "elderly", no ozone dose or volume, and no timing, and does not say how the diagnosis was investigated.
Harms reported after ozone therapy, and studies of how ozone exposure affects health. One study rarely settles a medical question; our guides weigh each paper against the rest of the evidence.
How the study was done
- Design
- Case report (PubMed publication type)
- Setting
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy (author affiliation)
- Read from
- Read from the abstract only; where this page says nothing about an item, the abstract does not report it. Read on October 2, 2026.
Source: Abstract on PubMed
Study arms
| Group | Participants | What they received |
|---|---|---|
| Single patient: elderly woman | Not reported | Oxygen-ozone therapy for lumbar pain caused by disk protrusion |
Source: Abstract on PubMed
What it measured
- Course after oxygen-ozone therapy
- Suspected pulmonary embolism, followed by sudden death
We describe a case of suspected pulmonary embolism, followed by sudden death, in an elderly woman treated with oxygen-ozone therapy for lumbar pain caused by disk protrusion.
- Authors' explanation
- A massive pulmonary embolism, probably caused by an intradiskal injection that accidentally punctured a venous vessel and created emboli
Source: Abstract on PubMed
Safety as reported
Suspected massive pulmonary embolism followed by sudden death, which the authors believe an intradiskal injection probably causedWe believe a massive pulmonary embolism occurred, probably caused by an intradiskal injection that accidentally punctured a venous vessel and created emboli.
Source: Abstract on PubMed
Funding and conflicts
Conflict of interest statement on PubMed: None
Source: Abstract on PubMed
Where we cite this study
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