Prolonged paradoxical air embolism during intraoperative intestinal endoscopy confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography -A case report-

Venous air embolism (VAE) during intestinal endoscopy is a rare complication. We report a case of cardiovascular collapse due to VAE confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during intraoperative intestinal endoscopy. TEE detected air bubbles in the left ventricle up to 1 hour after the e...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yong Hee Park, Hyun Jeong Kim, Jin Tae Kim, Hee Soo Kim, Chong Sung Kim, Seong Deok Kim
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Korean Society of Anesthesiologists 2010-06-01
Series:Korean Journal of Anesthesiology
Subjects:
Online Access:http://ekja.org/upload/pdf/kjae-58-560.pdf
Description
Summary:Venous air embolism (VAE) during intestinal endoscopy is a rare complication. We report a case of cardiovascular collapse due to VAE confirmed by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) during intraoperative intestinal endoscopy. TEE detected air bubbles in the left ventricle up to 1 hour after the event. When a patient deteriorates during endoscopic procedures, VAE and possible paradoxical air embolism (PAE) should be suspected. This case demonstrates that TEE can play an important role in diagnosing and managing an air embolism in anesthetized patients. In addition, this case demonstrates that PAEs may occur longer than expected after recovery from VAE-induced cardiovascular collapse.
ISSN:2005-6419
2005-7563