Images in Clinical Medicine

Air Embolism after the Insertion of a Central Venous Catheter

Ulf K.M. Teichgräber, M.D., and Thomas Benter, M.D.

N Engl J Med 2004; 350:e17May 6, 2004

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Article

A 17-year-old girl was involved in a car accident as a passenger. Before she was transported by helicopter to a hospital, a central venous catheter was inserted. She was admitted to the emergency department with multiple injuries. The initial computed tomographic scan of the chest showed both a lung contusion and air in the right ventricle. Air embolism is a rare but potentially fatal complication of procedures involving central venous catheters. Air can enter the central venous system during puncture or through an opening in the intravenous infusion tubing during disconnection. Approximately 100 ml of air per second can pass through a 14-gauge needle. The patient died from the severe injuries three days after the accident.

Ulf K.M. Teichgräber, M.D.
Thomas Benter, M.D.
Charité Campus Virchow-Klinikum, D-13353 Berlin, Germany

Citing Articles (4)

Citing Articles

1. 1

   Seon-Sook Han, Sam Soo Kim, Hyun Pyo Hong, Seo-Young Lee, Seung-Joon Lee, Bong-Ki Lee. (2010) Massive Paradoxical Air Embolism in Brain Occurring after Central Venous Catheterization: A Case Report. Journal of Korean Medical Science 25:10, 1536
   CrossRef

2. 2

   Prasad Maddukuri, Brian C. Downey, Jessica A. Blander, Natesa G. Pandian, Ayan R. Patel. (2006) Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Air Embolism Associated with Central Venous Catheter Placement: Case Report and Review of the Literature. Echocardiography 23:4, 315-318
   CrossRef

3. 3

   Jiaqi Tang, Changjun Wang, Youjun Feng, Weizhong Yang, Huaidong Song, Zhihai Chen, Hongjie Yu, Xiuzhen Pan, Xiaojun Zhou, Huaru Wang, Bo Wu, Haili Wang, Huamei Zhao, Ying Lin, Jianhua Yue, Zhenqiang Wu, Xiaowei He, Feng Gao, Abdul Hamid Khan, Jian Wang, Guo-Ping Zhao, Yu Wang, Xiaoning Wang, Zhu Chen, George F. Gao. (2006) Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome Caused by Streptococcus suis Serotype 2. PLoS Medicine 3:5, e151
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4. 4

   Roberto Copetti, Amato De Monte. (2005) Rapid Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Suspected Paradoxical Gas Embolism after Central Venous Catheter Placement in the Upright Position. Echocardiography 22:8, 695-696
   CrossRef