• F F Hendriks, A J Bogers, A Brutel de la Rivière, H A Huysmans, and G A Brom.
• Ann. Thorac. Surg. 1983 Oct 1; 36 (4): 433-6.

AbstractIn an experimental study using 6 pigs, the clinical situation of accidental air embolism was mimicked by introducing a known amount of pure nitrogen into the aortic perfusion line during standard hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass. The treatment after embolization consisted of 15 minutes of perfusion flow reversal. A special device was built to enable quantitative assessment of the amount of gas that escaped through the aortic cannula during venoarterial perfusion. This showed that only 47% of the injected gas bolus could be removed from the circulation. However, microscopic and histological examinations of the brain of each pig one week post-operatively did not reveal trapped gas or ischemic tissue damage. It is concluded that hyperbaric treatment after a clinical accident involving air embolism should be used if the embolus has reached the periphery before flow reversal can be effected. Since over 50% of the amount of gas introduced into the vasculature may remain behind even after prolonged venoarterial perfusion, ischemic damage of organs is still possible.

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