J Korean Med Sci.  2008 Oct;23(5):753-761. 10.3346/jkms.2008.23.5.753.

Venous Air Embolism during Surgery, Especially Cesarean Delivery

• Kim CS
• Liu J
• Kwon JY
• Shin SK
• Kim KJ

• KMID: 1783056
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2008.23.5.753

Abstract

Venous air embolism (VAE) is the entrapment of air or medical gases into the venous system causing symptoms and signs of pulmonary vessel obstruction. The incidence of VAE during cesarean delivery ranges from 10 to 97% depending on surgical position or diagnostic tools, with a potential for life-threatening events. We reviewed extensive literatures regarding VAE in detail and herein described VAE during surgery including cesarean delivery from background and history to treatment and prevention. It is intended that present work will improve the understanding of VAE during surgery.

Keyword

Cesarean Delivery; Venous Air Embolism

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia, Obstetrical/adverse effects
Cesarean Section/*adverse effects
Echocardiography, Transesophageal/methods
Embolism, Air/*diagnosis/prevention & control/*ultrasonography
Female
Humans
Intraoperative Complications/ultrasonography
Monitoring, Intraoperative/methods
Obstetrics/methods
Pregnancy
Risk Factors
Ultrasonography, Doppler/methods

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Venous air embolism detected by transesophageal echocardiography (mid-esophageal four-chamber view) during cesarean delivery in our recent study. (A) grade I, (B) grade II, (C) grade III, (D) grade IV. RA, right atrium; RV, right ventricle; LA, left atrium; LV, left ventricle.

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