PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Toshinori Nishizawa AU - Hiroaki Kanemura AU - Torahiko Jinta AU - Tomohide Tamura TI - Septic pulmonary embolism caused by <em>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</em> after a CO<sub>2</sub> laser surgery for rhinitis AID - 10.1136/bcr-2018-228420 DP - 2019 Mar 01 TA - BMJ Case Reports PG - e228420 VI - 12 IP - 3 4099 - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/3/e228420.short 4100 - http://casereports.bmj.com/content/12/3/e228420.full SO - BMJ Case Reports2019 Mar 01; 12 AB - A 26-year-old healthy patient had a fever and chest pain three days after nasal carbon dioxide (CO2) laser surgery for chronic and allergic rhinitis. In the emergency room, he was diagnosed as a right pneumothorax and managed as outpatients with oral antibiotic therapy and close follow-up. Six days later, in follow-up clinic, his presenting signs and symptoms included right chest pain, tachypnoea and elevated levels of white blood cell count and C reactive protein. He was diagnosed as septic pulmonary embolism (SPE) by the detection of multiple nodules with cavitation on chest CT. Culture of pleural fluids showed Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Intravenous antibiotic treatment and drainage of the pleural effusion improved his condition. Since SPE occurred after nasal CO2 laser surgery in this case, careful attention should be paid to infectious complications of nasal CO2 laser surgery.