All issues > Volume 34(10); 1991

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 1991;34(10):1422-1427. Published online October 31, 1991.

A case of pulmonary vascular air embolism in the newborn.

Won Soon Park¹, Beom Soo Park¹, Hye Kyung Han¹, Jung Hwan Choi¹, Chong Ku Yun¹, Kyoung Mo Yeon², Je Geun Chi³

¹Department of Pediatrics, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
³Department of Pathology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Received: June 12, 1991;  Accepted: July 4, 1991.

Abstract

Pulmonary vascular air embolism is a rare, and almost invariably fatal complication of positive pressure ventilation of newborn infants. There have only been 53 cases described in the world literature to date. We have experienced a case of pulmonary vascular air embolism in a premature newborn as a complication of mechanical ventilation during the course of respiratory distress syndrome. The pathophysiology and clinical characteristics of pulmonary vascular air embolism is discussed and a brief review of the related literature is presented.

Keywords :Pulmonary Vascular Air Embolism;Newborn