Cerebral Air Embolism after Central Venous Catheter Self-Extraction

Re: Cerebral air embolism following removal of central venous catheter.

Cerebral air embolism occurs very seldom as a complication of central venous catheterization. We report a 57-year-old female with cerebral air embolism secondary to removal of a central venous catheter (CVC). The patient was treated with supportive measures and recovered well with minimal long-term injury. The prevention of air embolism related to central venous catheterization is discussed.

Pearls & oy-sters: cerebral venous air embolism after central catheter removal: too much air can kill.

Central venous air embolism without a catheter.

Venous air embolism is a well-recognized complication of central venous catheterization. Although previous reports have documented venous air embolism occurring in a number of ways, including during initial catheterization, when catheters crack or are disconnected, and after catheter removal, no reports mention the possibility of air embolism occurring when a guide wire without a catheter was i...

Fatal venous cerebral air embolism secondary to a disconnected central venous catheter.

Venous air embolism occurring after removal of a central venous catheter.

A 77-yr-old woman was admitted to St. Luke's Hospital for repair of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. A balloon-tipped, flow-directed pulmonary artery catheter was inserted using a Cordis sheath in the right internal jugular vein after the induction of general anesthesia. She then underwent uneventful repair of the aneurysm and was transferred out of the surgical intensive care unit on the second p...