Air Embolism: Practical Tips for Prevention and Treatment

McCarthy, Colin J.; Behravesh, Sasan; Naidu, Sailendra; Öklü, Rahmi

doi:10.3390/jcm5110093

Cited by 102 publications

(100 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…To our knowledge, checklists for air embolism prevention do not exist, though there could be evidence to support their use [37]. Air embolism is listed as a “never event” by The National Quality Forum, highlighting the importance of instituting effective preventative and management measures [38]. Ultimately, institutional risk-reduction policies should at a minimum be established, and the implementation of standardization, staff training, and targeted requisition of equipment with anti-embolism safety features is crucial [33,39].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Embolism: Diagnosis, Clinical Management and Outcomes

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Air embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of surgical procedures. Rapid recognition and intervention is critical for reducing morbidity and mortality. We retrospectively characterized our experience with air embolism during medical procedures at a tertiary medical center. Electronic medical records were searched for all cases of air embolism over a 25-year period; relevant medical and imaging records were reviewed. Sixty-seven air embolism cases were identified; the mean age was 59 years (range, 3–89 years). Ninety-four percent occurred in-hospital, of which 77.8% were during an operation/invasive procedure. Vascular access-related procedures (33%) were the most commonly associated with air embolism. Clinical signs and symptoms were related to the location the air embolus; 36 cases to the right heart/pulmonary artery, 21 to the cerebrum, and 10 were attributed to patent foramen ovale (PFO). Twenty-one percent of patients underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), 7.5% aspiration of the air, and 63% had no sequelae. Mortality rate was 21%; 69% died within 48 hours. Thirteen patients had immediate cardiac arrest where mortality rate was 53.8%, compared to 13.5% (p = 0.0035) in those without. Air emboli were mainly iatrogenic, primarily associated with endovascular procedures. High clinical suspicion and early treatment are critical for survival.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Air Embolism: Diagnosis, Clinical Management and Outcomes

et al. 2017

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The term refers to the presence of air in the arterial (cerebral arterial air embolism, CAAE) or venous (cerebral venous air embolism, CVAE) vasculature, the latter being much less frequent than the former (and often underestimated), and, as such, less understood. Most reviews and case reports focus on the more straightforward pathophysiology of the more common CAAE, which can result from paradoxical embolisation or direct entry of air into the arteries or pulmonary veins, as a consequence of cardiac or neurosurgical interventions, high pressure mechanical ventilation, thoracocentesis, central vein manipulation, peripheral vein cannulation and contrast injection, tissue biopsies or endoscopic procedures [1,2] . In contrast, the exact pathophysiology of CVAE remains to be clarified.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cerebral Venous Air Embolism: A Rare Phenomenon

Carneiro¹,

Díaz²,

Vieira³

et al. 2019

European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Cerebral venous air embolism (CVAE) is an extremely rare phenomenon. Most reports of cerebral air embolism focus on the arterial territory, and consequently CVAE has remained poorly understood, especially regarding its pathophysiology and treatment. The authors describe an elderly male patient who was admitted through the Emergency Department with subacute confusion. A brain computed tomography (CT) showed multiple cerebral venous gas emboli. No potential causes were found apart from previous peripheral vein cannulation and intravenous medication administration. The patient received supportive treatment, with complete radiological resolution of the gas emboli, while maintaining his previous confusional state. The aim of this report is to highlight a rare and understudied entity, and discuss its causes, proposed pathophysiology and appropriate management.

show abstract

“…High flow oxygen has been established as a treatment to reduce air bubble size and aid the reabsorption of nitrogen gas from the bubble into the blood. Volume expansion with intravenous fluids is not only essential for resuscitation but also to avoid a wide pressure gradient which can increase gas embolism risk [1,3,16-17,33]. …”

Section: Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vascular Air Embolism During Bronchoscopy Procedures- Incidence, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes

Kanchustambham

Saladi

Mehta

et al. 2017

Cureus

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Vascular air embolism (VAE) is a rare, but potentially fatal complication of invasive medical or surgical procedures. It is a very rare complication of bronchoscopy and is most frequently reported with therapeutic bronchoscopy with Argon plasma coagulation (APC) or neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd-YAG) laser. Despite being rare, as a result of its high chance of mortality and morbidity, it is imperative that physicians have high clinical suspicion to allow for early recognition and treatment. In this article, we provide a concise review of the incidence, pathophysiology, diagnosis management and outcomes of air embolism during bronchoscopy procedures.

show abstract

Air Embolism: Practical Tips for Prevention and Treatment

Cited by 102 publications

References 31 publications

Air Embolism: Diagnosis, Clinical Management and Outcomes

Air Embolism: Diagnosis, Clinical Management and Outcomes

Cerebral Venous Air Embolism: A Rare Phenomenon

Vascular Air Embolism During Bronchoscopy Procedures- Incidence, Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management and Outcomes

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About