Can an air embolism cause a pulmonary embolism? Posted: 04-14-06 08:35am
I was just wondering if an air embolism
can cause a pulmonary embolism. Is PE
strictly a blood clot? Can air in a
central line cause a PE, or only an air
embolism? Would the symptoms be evident
immediately, or would there be a
delay?
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DoctorAnswer
Doctor Answer
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General Q&A Answer A961 Posted: 05-26-06 05:04am
Yes, air embolism can cause pulmonary
embolism. Pulmonary embolism can be caused
by a blood clot, air, fatty deposits, a
parasite, or septic thrombus. Air in a
central line can cause pulmonary air
embolism only if there is large amount of
air. Smaller amounts of air can be
dissolved in the blood. The symptoms occur
very quickly (not more then 10 minutes
afterward).
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