Ozone therapy-associated pneumoperitoneum in a patient with low back pain: A case report
Abstract
Introduction Ozone therapy has been used for patients with low back pain due to disc herniation. Owing to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties, this method alleviates low back pain and often improves physical function through lumbar injection. Despite its therapeutic potential, the complications associated with ozone therapy are not yet fully understood. Case report A 57-year-old woman with a history of diabetes mellitus was admitted to the emergency department with acute abdominal pain and distension and chest pain, which occurred following her last session of ozone therapy. At first, the patient had been diagnosed with peritonitis based on initial symptoms. However, blood tests did not reveal any notable abnormalities. After identifying the presence of free air on the abdominal X-ray and the IV contrast-enhanced computed tomography scan of the abdomen revealed retroperitoneal and intraperitoneal air indicative of pneumoperitoneum and pneumoretroperitoneum. The patient was discharged in stable condition after five days of non-surgical and symptomatic treatment. Discussion This is a rare case of pneumoperitoneum and pneumoretroperitoneum, which also highlights a new complication of ozone therapy. Despite the exact pathophysiological mechanisms being unclear, the high pressure of ozone administration or technique may be the causative factors. Conservative management demonstrated favorable prognostic outcomes and an effective treatment response. Conclusion…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a case report, done in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Improving sleep quality leads to better mental health: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials
- Tocilizumab in patients with severe COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study
- A new aging measure captures morbidity and mortality risk across diverse subpopulations from NHANES IV: A cohort study
- Fruit, vegetable, and legume intake, and cardiovascular disease and deaths in 18 countries (PURE): a prospective cohort study
- Are noise and air pollution related to the incidence of dementia? A cohort study in London, England
- Long COVID symptoms and duration in SARS-CoV-2 positive children — a nationwide cohort study
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.