ABSTRACT
Gas emboli may involve either or both the venous and arterial systems. In most instances, the gas is air, though, in some diagnostic situations, it could be carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide or nitrogen.
In the venous system, death from air embolism depends on the size of the bolus and the rate of delivery. In arterial embolism, these factors are not as important, because only a small number of air bubbles occluding a coronary artery or a cerebral vessel can result in death. In venous air embolism, between 75 and 250 cm
of air delivered rapidly is necessary to cause death.
