All issues > Volume 47(6); 2004

Case Report

Korean J Pediatr. 2004;47(6):701-703. Published online June 15, 2004.

A Case of Systemic Air Embolism in a Child after Thoracic Blunt Trauma

Hee Jin HJ Cho¹, Hyun Ju HJ Lee¹, In Sil IS Lee¹, Hae Joung HJ Yang¹

¹Department of Pediatrics, National Police Hospital, Seoul, Korea

Correspondence Hae Joung HJ Yang ,Email: mariamhj89@hanmail.net

Abstract

Systemic air embolism occurs when air enters the pulmonary venous system as a result of a positive gradient caused by low pulmonary venous pressure or increased airway pressure, or both. Systemic air embolism has been frequently reported after penetrating thoracic trauma and can induce life-threatening complications. In blunt thoracic trauma, systemic air embolism has been rarely diagnosed. Because air embolism associated with blunt trauma is more insidious, diagnosis is usually not appreciated unless special circumstances allow discovery of air in major vessels or coronary arteries, such as during emergency resuscitative thoracotomy. We report a case of systemic air embolism in an 18-month-old girl after accidental thoracic blunt trauma and review related literature.

Keywords :Air embolism, Blunt thoracic trauma