Air embolism and the radial arterial line.
A clinical case of apparent air embolism through a radial artery line served as the impetus to conduct a study in primates to investigate the possibility of air embolism from the radial artery into the cerebral circulation. Using 133Xe cerebral scanning, we demonstrated that greater than 2 ml of air in the radial artery would result in retrograde passage of air into the vertebral system and then into the brain.
Chang
C
C
Cardiovascular Research Laboratory, Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu, HI 96813.
Dughi
J
J
Shitabata
P
P
Johnson
G
G
Coel
M
M
McNamara
J J
JJ
D000818:Animals; D001132:Arm / Q000098:blood supply*; D001158:Arteries; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology; D002406:Catheterization, Peripheral / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D002542:Intracranial Embolism and Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D008251:Macaca; D008875:Middle Aged