TY - JOUR
T1 - Near-fatal Air Embolism
T2 - Fibrin Sheath as the Portal of Air Entry
AU - Roberts, Shawn
AU - Johnson, Michelle
AU - Davies, Scott
PY - 2003/10/1
Y1 - 2003/10/1
N2 - Complications of central venous catheters occur in less than 1% of all insertions. Of these, pulmonary air embolism is a rare though often fatal complication. Possible mechanisms include opening of the line to the atmosphere during use and poor technique during insertion or removal. There has also been speculation that the presence of a fibrin sheath after removal might be a mechanism for air entry. We present a case of a near-fatal pulmonary air embolus with documentation of air in the pulmonary outflow trunk and a residual air-filled fibrin tract seen on computed tomography.
AB - Complications of central venous catheters occur in less than 1% of all insertions. Of these, pulmonary air embolism is a rare though often fatal complication. Possible mechanisms include opening of the line to the atmosphere during use and poor technique during insertion or removal. There has also been speculation that the presence of a fibrin sheath after removal might be a mechanism for air entry. We present a case of a near-fatal pulmonary air embolus with documentation of air in the pulmonary outflow trunk and a residual air-filled fibrin tract seen on computed tomography.
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U2 - 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000051067.20708.5F
DO - 10.1097/01.SMJ.0000051067.20708.5F
M3 - Article
C2 - 14570352
AN - SCOPUS:0142258982
SN - 0038-4348
VL - 96
SP - 1036
EP - 1038
JO - Southern Medical Journal
JF - Southern Medical Journal
IS - 10
ER -