Air embolisms, caused by bubbles in the bloodstream, can lead to serious health problems or death. Trauma, surgery, IV lines, and diving can cause them. Symptoms include chest pain, seizures, and altered consciousness. Treatment may include the Trendelenberg position, pure oxygen, and hyperbaric chamber therapy.
An air embolism is a medical condition characterized by a bubble in the bloodstream. Air embolisms are more properly called “air embolisms,” since the gas involved need not be air. Depending on the size of an air embolism, it can cause a variety of problems, ranging from chest pain to death, and it is important to treat embolisms if they are suspected to prevent long-term complications or death.
A number of things can lead to an air embolism. Trauma, for example, can introduce air into the bloodstream, as can some surgical procedures, and air into IV lines or syringes. Diving also puts people at risk for a type of air embolism called arterial gas embolism. When the bubble enters the bloodstream, it blocks it, obstructing blood flow. The embolism can also travel, cutting off blood flow to various organs and potentially travel to the heart and cause fatal disruption of heart function.
Someone with an air embolism will generally develop heart problems, chest pain, pale skin, seizures, and an altered level of consciousness. If someone has engaged in an activity that would put them at risk for air embolism, a doctor may recommend that treatment begin right away. Tests such as imaging studies and arterial blood gas analysis may also be used to confirm the diagnosis.
In emergency treatment, a patient with suspected air embolism will often be placed in the Trendelenberg position, a tilted position with the head turned down. This is designed to trap the air bubble in the apex of the ventricle if it has reached the heart, and it also slows the rate of travel, making it less likely that the embolism will reach the brain or heart. Pure oxygen can also be used in treatment, and the patient may require cardiopulmonary resuscitation if the embolism reaches the heart.
The best treatment for an air embolism is often a stay in a hyperbaric chamber. A hyperbaric chamber is a pressurized chamber that can be controlled by hospital staff. If a patient is placed in the chamber and the pressure is increased, the pressure will force the gases in the embolism to dissolve into the blood, clearing the embolism. Then, the pressure can be slowly reduced as the patient breathes in a high oxygen content gas mixture, allowing the body to express the gases slowly and safely so that the embolism does not recur.
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