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Cerebral Air Embolism after Central Venous Catheter Self-Extraction

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 September 2014

Aasim Hasany ,
Jonathan Butler ,
Andrew Leung  and
G. Bryan Young
Aasim Hasany*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Jonathan Butler
Affiliation:
Medical Imaging, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
Andrew Leung
Affiliation:
Medical Imaging, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
G. Bryan Young
Affiliation:
Clinical Neurological Sciences and Medicine, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
*
Western University, Internal Medicine, 1610-71 King Street, London, Ontario, N6A-0A5, Canada. Email: aasim.hasany@londonhospitals.ca.
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Cerebral air embolism associated with central venous catheter insertion and removal is a rare but serious complication. There are many hypotheses on how air bubbles might be transported from the venous system to intracranial vessels. The literature has described how intra-cardiac defects transpulmonary passage and even retrograde flow of gas bubbles can explain this phenomenon. We present a case that illustrates the devastating effects of cerebral air embolism after a patient selfextracted his central venous catheter.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 41 , Issue 2 , March 2014 , pp. 267 - 269
Copyright
Copyright © The Canadian Journal of Neurological 2014

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