Closed-Chest Cardiac Massage in the Treatment of Venous Air Embolism

Abstract

VENOUS air embolism is a dreaded complication of a variety of surgical, therapeutic and diagnostic technics. In one series it accounted for 1 in 108 operating-room deaths.¹ It is almost always the result of human error.² The diagnosis is usually made by the detection of the "mill-wheel" murmur, said to be pathognomonic of the condition.³ The murmur represents the right ventricle beating against the bubbles of air, and this sign is frequently the precursor of cardiovascular collapse.Previous treatment has consisted of placing of the patient in the left lateral decubitus position to dislodge the bubble of air from the . . .