Major complications and deaths due to interventional ultrasonography: a review of 8000 cases.

Complications related to approximately 8000 ultrasound-guided punctures performed in our institution during the last 19 years are reported. This study includes 3500 fine needle biopsies, 700 large bore needle biopsies, 2800 punctures of fluid collections using either a 1.2-mm spinal needle or a 7.5 F pigtail catheter, and 1000 percutaneous nephrostomies. The majority were abdominal punctures. The complication rate was 0.187% (0.100% to 0.313%) and the mortality rate 0.038% (0.013% to 0.113%). Using the fine needle data exclusively, these rates were 0.200% (0.086% to 0.400%) and 0.028% (0.000% to 0.171%), respectively. The 95% confidence limits are in brackets.