Air embolism history and symptoms

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

There are no specific symptoms for air embolism, and it can be misdiagnosed as many other conditions. The History of a patient plays an important role in its diagnosis

• The diagnosis of air embolism is clinical and should be suspected in patients with history of:

• High risk procedures
• Scuba diving
• Trauma to head, neck, thorax or abdomen
• Hemodialysis catheters
• Positive pressure ventilation

• Symptoms of air embolism depend on:^[1]
  • the location
  • size of the emboli
  • rate of emboli formation
  • patient spontaneously breathing
  • patient under controlled positive pressure ventilation
• Symptoms include the following:

• Dyspnea
• Cough
• Chest pain
• Mental status changes
• Dizziness/ Vertigo
• Nausea
• Syncope
• Headache
• Anxiety

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