Acute Crit Care.  2024 Feb;39(1):201-202. 10.4266/acc.2023.01032.

An unusual case of relapsing arrhythmia during veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation cannulation

• Van Lancker R
• Balthazar T
• Lochy S
• Mekeirele M

• KMID: 2555242
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4266/acc.2023.01032

Figure

• 

  Figure 1. Computed tomography with contrast reveals overt cerebral air emboli (small arrows, A) as well as a massive air embolism (big arrows) in the left ventricle on axial (B), coronal (C) and sagittal (D) view (greyscale is equal to air in the lungs). Also note heterogeneous colouring of the left ventricular muscle (small arrows, B) due to recent infarction.

Reference

1. Malik N, Claus PL, Illman JE, Kligerman SJ, Moynagh MR, Levin DL, et al. Air embolism: diagnosis and management. Future Cardiol. 2017; 13:365–78.

2. Kandori K, Ishii W, Iiduka R. Massive systemic arterial air embolism caused by an air shunt after blunt chest trauma: a case report. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2018; 51:368–71.

3. Ryu SM, Park SM. Unexpected complication during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support: ventilator associated systemic air embolism. World J Clin Cases. 2018; 6:274–8.

4. Shiina G, Shimosegawa Y, Kameyama M, Onuma T. Massive cerebral air embolism following cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Report of two cases. Acta Neurochir (Wien). 1993; 125:181–3.