Air embolism classification
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Overview
An air embolism, or more generally gas embolism, is a medical condition caused by gas bubbles in the bloodstream (embolism in a medical context refers to any large moving mass or defect in the blood stream). Small amounts of air may enter the blood circulation during surgery, other invasive medical procedures, or deep sea diving. There are two types of air embolisms: venous or arterial. venous air embolisms rarely present with symptoms. Symptoms or death mainly occur in the arterial system. Symptoms may occur in the venous system, if a large bubble of gas becomes lodged in the heart, stopping blood from flowing from the right ventricle to the lungs (this is similar to vapor lock in engine fuel systems). However, the amount of gas necessary for this to happen is quite variable, and also depends on a number of other factors, such as body position.
Gas embolism into an artery, termed arterial gas embolism, or AGE, is a more severe diagnosis than venous air embolism, since a gas bubble in an artery may directly cause ischemia to an area fed by the artery. The symptoms of AGE depend on the artery and the organs that it supplies. For example,a stroke or a heart attack may occur if the brain or heart (respectively) are affected.
Decompression sickness (DCS) is a diving disorder that SCUBA divers sometimes suffer when they have pressure damage to their lungs following a rapid ascent where the breath is inappropriately held against a closed glottis, allowing pressure to build up inside the lungs, relative to the blood. It is termed "gas" because the diver may be using a diving breathing gas other than air. The gas bubbles can impede the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs. They can also cause clots to form in blood vessels.
Gas embolism and decompression sickness (DCS) have similar symptoms, especially in the central nervous system. The treatment for both is the same, because they are both the result of gas bubbles in the body.
Classification
- Air embolism may be classified according to location into 2 subtypes: