title: Venous air embolism leading to cardiac arrest in an infant with cyanotic congenital heart disease.
abstract: Gas emboli, including venous and arterial, are a rare but important complication of pediatric cardiac surgery. They have the potential to have devastating consequences and require prompt recognition and treatment. We present a case of gas embolism occurring in the immediate postoperative period in an infant with cyanotic congenital heart disease after palliative cardiac surgery resulting in cardiopulmonary arrest. The embolism was diagnosed by visualization of air within the vessel creating an airlock and occluding pulmonary blood flow.
authors.affiliation: Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, N 37232, USA.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Watkins
authors.forename: Lewis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: McCarver
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vanbebber
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Bichell