title: Successful treatment of massive arterial air embolism during open heart surgery.
abstract: We report a case of a 5-year-old girl who suffered a massive arterial air embolism during surgical closure of an atrial septal defect. The risk of permanent neurologic deficits or even fatal outcome is significant (mortality rate, 31%). We successfully treated a proven arterial air embolism with intraoperative (retrograde cerebral perfusion) combined with postoperative procedures (deep barbiturate anesthesia and hyperbaric oxygenation). At discharge the girl had fully recovered from the initial neurologic defects.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Clinic of Surgery Graz, Karl-Franzens-University, Austria.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Huber
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rigler
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Mächler
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Metzler
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Smolle-Jüttner
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D004618:Embolism, Air / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005112:Extracorporeal Circulation / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D012074:Remission Induction