Air embolism
From ArticleWorld
The air embolism (or, more correctly, a gas embolism is a medical condition caused by the presence of gas bubbles in one's bloodstream. It is possible for very small bubbles to be present in bloodstream without causing symptoms, but large emboli can be fatal.
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Pathogenesis
Air emboli can occur if a blood vessel is open and there is a pressure gradient that favorizes the formation of bubbles. This is quite rare since the pressure in blood vessels below the heart is higher than the atmospheric presure. However, if a blood vessel is open above the heart, where the pressure is lower than the atmospheric pressure, bubbles can appear. This is one of the reasons why brain surgeries are so dangerous -- surgeons must take more safety measures in order to ensure that air doesn't get into an open blood vessel in a quantity that can cause an embolus.
Air emboli can occur in other medical operations as well. In case of lung traumas, ventilating the patient may force air into a damadged blood vessel. There have been reports of air emboli occuring during or after Caesarian section surgeries, as well as due to inapropriate use of syringes.
Symptoms
The symptoms depend on where the bubble(s) stop. They can range from wrist pain and skin rashes to breathing difficulties, numbness, disturbance in equilibrium and even more extreme sittuations like unconsciousness or death. A bubble in the coronary arteries can cause a heart attack. Death often occurs when a bubble stops bloodflow between the right ventricle and the lungs.
Avoiding
In medicine, avoiding air emboli usually includes handling syringes with care so that air is not accidentally injected in the blood vessels, if avoiding their usage is not possible.
Deep sea diving poses special problems. The lungs of deep divers can be damadged due to a quick ascension. Gas bubles cand end up blocking the flow of oxigenated blood to the brain and vital organs, and sometimes cause formation of clots in blood vessels.
Treatment
Treatment usually involves usage of decompression chambers to slowly adjust the organism to the normal pressure. Oxygen first aid treatment can be used in certain cases.